


Letters from no one

by shadow_oblivion



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Humor, Character Death, Comfort/Angst, Denial, Denial of Feelings, Depressing, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Hope, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Slow Burn, Treasure Hunting, around the world, is bleak, ooc is likely, running out of time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2016-11-11
Packaged: 2018-08-12 20:14:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7947535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadow_oblivion/pseuds/shadow_oblivion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Law was running out of time when he received a letter that told him to follow a series of clues.  Law, against his better judgement, gave the crazy idea a try, and because of it, was reunited with someone he never expected to see or hear from again.  As the days passed, and his condition worsened, Law knew he had a decision to make about Luffy's presence. Modern AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 1: Letters from no one

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This plot has been bouncing around in my head for awhile (though I feel it is a combo of things I've read, heard and seen over the years). With this plot, all I could think of was how it would work better with Law and Luffy. Normally, I wouldn't do anything with lawlu, because I don't know how well I can write it since I've not done it before, and haven't read much of it, but for this, I wanted to try. As such, their relationship prior to what's written here will be explained over the course of the fic.
> 
> I will warn right now that there will be a character death by the end of this fic, so please be aware of that if it is not something that you want or are in the mood, to read (there will be fluff and humor at times, if that does anything to make up for it). Also, this is modern AU, so at the time the fic takes place, Luffy is 22 and Law is 29. There is likely to be some ooc.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing from One Piece.

An alarm blared in the darkness, waking the room's sole occupant in a flash. Said occupant didn't take too kindly to the intrusion of noise in his world at present. The alarm clock that had been making a nuisance of itself was suddenly seized, hefted, and thrown with more force than was necessary against the nearest wall. The clock shattered, taking with it the unwanted noise that had woken the man in the room from his fitful sleep.

The man, Trafalgar Law, reluctantly shifted the blankets aside to see the damage that he had caused immediately upon being so rudely woken. He just ignored the fact that it was he who had set the clock automatically in the first place. Messy dark blue hair poked out from beneath the layers of blankets, sleepy golden eyes taking in the bits of destroyed clock on the floor. Sleepiness was replaced with bitterness at the rash action. Law took a breath and closed his eyes as he tugged the blanket back over his head, as if that would make the facts he had learned about himself go away.

Law knew they wouldn't, no matter how much he wished it otherwise. There was no point in trying to go back to sleep with that lovely thought, so the blue haired man reluctantly untangled himself from the blankets and got out of bed. He had had another sleepless night, though this time Law knew it was because he had been alone with dark thoughts again about the dismal news he had received, and not just insomnia. Law believed, from his exhaustion, that he couldn't have gotten more than a few hours of rest, if that. It certainly felt like he had barely hit the bed before being waking abruptly.

With a low growl in the back of his throat at the unwanted thoughts biting at the back of his mind, Law crossed the room to the windows. The curtains blocked all light and most sound from his bedroom and that was welcome on the nights that he had trouble sleeping, which was often. Law needed a distraction at the moment, however, as there was no point in dwelling on his troubles. It would lead to nothing but pain and torment, especially as there was nothing he could do to help himself, even as a surgeon.

Law's eyes squinted in the sunlight as he parted the bedroom curtains, not aware that the sky was supposed to be clear of clouds that day. Or that it was, in fact, very early in the morning, which meant that he had not gotten much more than perhaps an hour's worth of sleep. Law's mouth twitched into a self-deprecating smile at the sight he was greeted with.

The clear, bright morning sky seemed to be clearly mocking him in some way. That such a beautiful day could occur after such a horrid rainstorm the day before, and how everything just seemed to be so cheerful when the surgeon had been ruminating over such dismal news. News that Law had always feared to hear, sometime during his lifetime, so much so that the blue haired man had always stuck to the age old adage of no news was good news. It had also helped that Law had made sure to get a yearly checkup for anything out of place, and have an occasional test done when something cropped up that was unfamiliar.

A week ago, the bad news that he had dreaded to hear for so long hit him unexpectedly, and Law, while prepared for the possibility of the news, hadn't been prepared that night. The blue haired man had had a clean bill of health the previous year, and didn't think that one year would have made a difference. Law had demanded to read and reread the results of his yearly physical at the hospital he worked at, as well as a few tests he had added in last minute.

Law had found in short order that, no matter how he looked at it, he was going to die, and there was nothing he or anyone else in the hospital could do to prevent it from happening.

The blue haired man knew the futility of trying to fight, no matter what Law could try and do in an attempt to prolong his life expectancy. There were no known cures for his illness, and as it was a rare genetic gene that had caused the dire diagnosis, there was little known about it. All that was known as fact was that the person would begin to weaken out of nowhere, to the point that, in the end, they could barely move before they died.

Law stared out the window and at the early morning sky unseeingly, seeing and feeling nothing with that hanging over his head. There were trail drugs that he could try, or newly designed therapies that his colleagues had suggested he could try, in an attempt to beat the odds. Law had been silent for the most part after reading the charts, and had quietly agreed to take the drugs, despite the fact that, based on the information he had gleaned then and there, there was a high likelihood that he would die within three weeks. Two weeks now, as it were, since Law had done nothing but go about in a daze for the past week, trying to wrap his mind around the notion of being left with so little time.

It was a shock, to be sure, but Law and several other doctors, after having gone through his charts at the hospital several times after receiving them, were all surprised that nothing had been detected the previous year. Law had stared at those charts for a time after his colleagues had left for the night, the dark haired surgeon thinking that all of them had misread the numbers in some way or another. But no matter how Law looked at it, the dark haired man could only see one thing in his immediate future.

An early death.

Law closed his eyes and briefly enjoyed what little warmth the early morning sun offered, before reality hit him again and Law let out a low, shuddering sigh. He needed to go back to the hospital and at least give the drugs a try, to see whether it could prolong his life or not. He'd already delayed for a week, in denial as he had been, refusing to see the truth of the matter. Apart from those drugs to test out, Law didn't know what he was supposed to do. Tell everyone he knew in his that he was dying? Let them reassure him in return that he would pull through, even though the dark haired man knew better and would only be able to give an odd smirk in return? Did he keep it quiet so that he didn't let anyone worry that there was nothing that could be done for him to turn things around? It wasn't like Law had it in him at present to tell his few friends that it was too late to do anything. To tell that all he and they could do was to wait and see if the drugs could prolong his life perhaps a month, maybe less?

Dressing was a chore that morning, and Law supposed it was the exhaustion of little to no sleep, coupled by the fact that he'd been unable to dwell on anything other than the knowledge that he had little time left to live. Even eating breakfast proved tricky, as Law couldn't be bothered to eat more than one rice ball he'd had as a leftover, and some coffee. Nothing he did that morning seemed to be easy, the what-if's and questions warring through his head and giving him no peace and no time to accept that there were things he could have done with his life, but hadn't.

Like visit Corazon's grave more than he had.

A twinge of guilt hit Law at the thought of the man who'd self-appointed himself as his guardian when the blue haired man been orphaned as a child. Though in reality, Corazon had been much more of a father figure and had basically adopted Law when the surgeon had only been a surly ten year old child. Law smiled faintly at the thought of how he'd initially reacted to Corazon, and with another, lighter sigh, headed for the front door to his house. If nothing else, he would like to visit the grave, though it was on another continent and it would take at least three flights to get to the small island that held an even tinier cemetery.

If there was only one thing that Law knew he had to do before he died, the surgeon knew that it would be to visit Corazon's grave.

Law unlocked the front door and gave it a jerk to open it, only to find a small package on his front porch. The dark haired man stepped outside, but after a few turns of his head and a frown, Law didn't see anyone out there. It was a quiet morning in the neighborhood, per usual, with the only sign of life being a rather hefty squirrel that was currently being harassed by the dog next door. Law turned his attention back to the package on his porch to consider it again. It was very early for mail to have actually arrived, but as the package was addressed to him, Law decided to see what it was. It wasn't like he had anything better to do with his time other than to wait to go to the hospital and fret over how he was, or wasn't, going to let his friends know that he was dying.

The box was tempting as well, since Law didn't usually get package mail. The whole of the surgeon's mail happened to be just bills, random catalogs he didn't remember signing up for, other junk mail advertising things he didn't need, and last, but not least, prank mail, usually courtesy of Shachi. After bringing the box inside, Law set it on the kitchen counter as he went to locate scissors in his office. With it, Law returned to the kitchen and cut the tape. The surgeon carefully opened the box, belatedly wondering if it was dangerous, and then decidedly not caring since he was going to be gone soon enough anyway. The caution Law always took seemed to be not as important anymore.

Golden eyes narrowed at the single piece of paper at the bottom box, along with a tiny sea shell.

Perhaps the sender had been mistaken about who they were sending the package to. No wonder it had been so light, as there wasn't much in the box itself. After double-checking that the address label that was very clearly his own, and again noting his name on the package, Law picked up the slip of paper. It felt like paper one used in a printer, and upon closer inspection, there was short, typed text on it, rending Law incapable of trying to decipher hand writing. Law frowned at what was clearly a letter of sorts, not entirely sure what to make of it and wondering if it was some elaborate prank.

_Follow these clues along the map and experience life. Maybe you'll find something you thought you lost when you solve the last clue._

_Use the shell and it'll lead the way._

It seemed like a prank to Law, but he didn't mind as much as he normally would have been by this sort of thing. Out of sheer curiosity of how a sea shell was supposed to lead the way apart from a shore somewhere, Law picked the shell up from inside the box. It was pale cream and light brown, with a few ridges bumping out along the back of it. The blue haired surgeon turned it over in one tattooed hand, not really expecting to find anything, until he did.

Tiny text along the inside of the shell, so small he couldn't really begin to guess who had written it.

Law held the shell close to read the tiny, unfamiliar print that read as _GLH F3 O2._ To Law's mind, it instantly meant the Grand Line Hospital, floor 3, office 2. Presumably where he would find a 'clue', should the blue haired man choose to take the letter seriously at all. Law stared at the shell he held between forefinger and thumb, thoughts turning over slowly as he considered this sudden strangeness, before he chanced a look at the clock above the stove.

Eight in the morning.

Law ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. It was early enough that he could go and see what this shell and letter were all about. It wasn't like he had anything better to do right now than sit with the painful decisions to be made. The blue haired man's eyes briefly went to the desk in the living room at that thought, where a partially written out will sat waiting for him to finish it.

Law looked away, an uncomfortable feeling settling in the pit of his stomach about what that piece of paper meant to him and the people in his life. The blue haired surgeon didn't look back at the desk, as he suddenly had the strong desire to get out of the house, and go somewhere.

Anywhere.

Any place to make him not dwell on things he had to take care of.

Later.

Law would finish with what was lying there on his desk later, when he returned home. The blue haired surgeon's whole body shook briefly as he crossed to the entryway of his house, and took a jacket out of the front hall closet. Instead of thinking about the paper on that desk, Law chose to see what the brief letter and shell meant, if anything. Already he found himself stumped by what seemed to be an elaborate prank of sorts. However, that was what Law chose to think about, as it was a far cry more welcome than what his thoughts had been previously dwelling on.

A mysterious letter and a shell were not what Law would have intended as a distraction, but it would have to do.

-x-

The hospital was not as busy as Law would have expected it to have been when he arrived a half hour later, but then again, he wasn't working that day, so whether it was busy or not was irrelevant. If his reaction to his dire diagnosis was anything to go by, Law had no doubt that everyone would want him to take it easy and try the drugs to see if they would help ease what was to come eventually.

Law made his way to the third floor, trying to tune out the negative musings he had started to have about his condition again, but failed to do so. By the time he reached the office the shell had indicated, Law was a bundle of desperate nerves. The blue haired surgeon didn't know what it was about entering the hospital that brought back the memory so strongly about his condition, apart from the fact that the hospital was where he had seen the charts and learned his eventual fate. At present, Law was doing everything in his power to try and turn his thoughts to what he had come here for. Not the drugs, but the strange letter he had received. What confused Law was that while he was trying to calm down and think things through rationally, the blue haired man had begun to have wild thoughts about how the clue he was looking for was perhaps something that would help him live.

Law couldn't help but smirk at the ridiculous way his thoughts had turned. Wishful thinking even now while he was in the midst of having reality hit him in the face again. It was best to not dwell on what couldn't be changed. Getting his hopes up would only lead to massive disappointment in the end.

The blue haired surgeon mentally gave his unwanted contemplation the middle finger as he reached his destination and pushed open the door to the unused office. Law didn't have to go far to find what he was looking for, as the item in question had been obviously placed. There was a folder on the otherwise bare deck, and as the folder was not dusty as the desk was, the item had not been there for long. Law hesitated only briefly before he crossed the all but empty room. It was a manila folder, and when Law picked it up, he found that there wasn't much weight to it, which meant there likely wasn't to be much inside.

Law turned the folder to one side after opening it and gave it a shake, which caused two tickets to flutter out and onto the dusty floor, followed by another sheet of computer paper, with the same typed text. Law crouched to retrieve the fallen items, and realized that the tickets were to a city in another country that he had never gone to but had really wanted to go for as long as he could remember. He'd merely had no free time to do so. Law picked the letter up next, smoothed it out and read it, his golden eyes reflecting puzzlement over what was written there.

_You should take someone with you to follow the clues. It will make things easier for you._

_The next clue can be found on one of the seats you have on the plane._

Law furrowed his brow, suspicious. This seemed ridiculous and not safe in the least bit, the idea of following the suggestions of an unseen person. These letters from no one. And yet…

And yet...

The dark haired surgeon's eyes fell on the tickets in his hand and the thoughts of things he had not yet accomplished or gone to see in his life slapped him with a harsh and sudden clarity. Law dropped the tickets on the desk along with the letter as he sat down on the chair in the room, torn, because if there was any time to go and do those things, now was the time. The only time, and the clock was ticking. It wouldn't stop, no matter how much Law screamed at it to do so and denied over and over that this wasn't happening to him. That it was all just a bad dream. That he would be fine when those two weeks were at an end. The blue haired surgeon dug his hands through his hair and sat there for a time, turning over his options. It seemed too good to be true to find paid for tickets, but then again, Law taking someone with him that he knew would cut down on anything bad from happening, as the surgeon would have someone who could watch his back for him, and he for them. Unbidden, a conversation Law had had with his friends recently surfaced in his mind, and it had involved them telling the dark haired surgeon that he really should live a little before life passed him by.

It most certainly was passing by now, and quickly, at that.

Law closed his eyes as he reached for the tickets he'd dropped on the desk, his fingers lightly brushing the small pieces of paper in thought. It wasn't like he didn't have the money to make a short trip around the world, if the letter's words were anything to go by, and he _had_ wanted to go to Corazon's grave before the letter and shell had made an appearance. The blue haired surgeon had limited time, and quite suddenly, he was rather encouraged over the thought to use his vacation time that he had never bothered to use while he had been working.

But who would he take with him that wouldn't question why Law suddenly had the desire to travel? If he actually chose to go along with the madness of the clues and all, that is. Law was naturally suspicious of people in general until he learned that he could trust them. So to blindly follow a suggestion in a letter from an anonymous person, and use tickets that may or may not have been legally paid for, seemed unlike himself. The very idea was likely to call into question whether or not Law could make sound decisions now that he was dying.

Law straightened in the chair with a faint shake of his head.

No, Law couldn't bring the people he normally would have asked to come. They would try to point out that he was usually more rational than this. More cautious. No, Law knew that it had to be someone who wouldn't pry into his own affairs intentionally, and would just be there to help him find clues. But who would do something so ludicrous and…

Law's eyes opened in surprise when he realized that there was literally only one person he could think of that would agree without question to something so crazy. The only question Law had about that particular person accepting would depend entirely on if they didn't bear any grudge for not being contacted for two years. If there were no hard feelings, it might just work. After all, Luffy was a rather chaotic individual himself, so the idea of what Law was going to propose would likely sound like a great lark to the younger man.

Despite his doubts, Law pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number before he had a chance to talk himself out of it. Law didn't have to wait long for the phone to be answered, and was inwardly relieved, upon hearing the cheery, upbeat voice, that it was the same number that Luffy had given him years ago.

' _Hey, Law! You actually called me? You never call me and now you're calling me.'_

"Yes, I called you." Law deadpanned, though he wore a smirk at the continued cheerfulness in Luffy's tone. The blue haired surgeon inwardly marveled over the fact that Luffy was acting like it had only been days since he'd last hear from Law. Not years. Taking into account that Luffy hadn't hung up on him and hadn't said anything else, Law added, "I happened to come across some tickets to that place I mentioned to you the last time we met."

' _That coastal city?'_ Luffy asked curiously. _'The one with the tasty meat?'_

"Yes, that one. As I only need one ticket and everyone else is busy…" A blatant lie, but one that Law knew Luffy would accept without question, "…I wanted to know if you had time and wanted to go with me. I found this letter that said to follow clues and-"

' _You're going on treasure hunt?'_ Luffy interrupted excitedly _. 'Awesome! You should let me go with you! I want to find clues for treasure with one of my friends!'_

"You don't care that the clues are from someone anonymous? As in, we don't know who they are or why they're giving me very expensive tickets to use?" Law asked incredulously, wondering if this might not be the best idea after all, especially if Luffy had a blind goal to tag along to just 'treasure hunt' and not think about the idea that it could be an elaborate set up of some kind. Not to mention Law had never indicated there would even _be_ treasure. And since when had Law been anything other than an acquaintance to the now 22 year old? At least, that was what Law told himself. And now that the surgeon was thinking about it, wasn't Luffy still in school?

' _No going back on asking! I wanna go with you!'_ Luffy seemed to, at the very least, pick up on Law's sudden hesitance. _'And I can see Ace while we're at that city! He went there on vacation a few days ago. He was going to go check out the volcano that is there.'_

Of course he was. Law didn't point out that it was a bad idea, but then again, neither Luffy or his older brother ever listened to commons sense, and just kept ending up back in the hospital with injuries ranging from minor to major, where stitches and casts had been required.

' _You didn't hang up, did you?'_

"No." Law stated, and he had the brilliant idea to actually look closer at the tickets and see the time and day of the flight. A brow rose at the time indicated, and Law let Luffy know as much. "And the ticket's flight happens to be for this afternoon. Can you go on such short notice? Do you have classes?" The blue haired man promptly held the cell away from his ear at the delighted whoop on the other end of the line, followed by Luffy's extreme and very enthusiastic 'yes'.

"Classes?" Law reiterated to the cell phone.

"I'm on break." Luffy sounded enthused about that as well.

Well, wasn't that strangely convenient?

"I'll text you the details of the flight." Law said, still holding the phone away from his ear. He heard some form of agreement that was muffled on the other end of the line, and Law hung up without saying good bye. It seemed too ominous a thing to say now.

Law paused halfway to the door of the office before realization of what he had just done really sunk in. Had he really just asked Luffy, someone he hadn't seen in two years, to basically go on what was clearly a very dubious trip with him, after the two of them had parted awkwardly before? Luffy seemed fine with the long absence of them talking and seeing one another, but Law wasn't entirely sure. It seemed to Law that Luffy was only too pleased to be asked to go with him on an impromptu, well, trip, and didn't see anything wrong with it in the least bit.

The blue haired surgeon wondered if this sudden, spur of the moment decision was a bad idea after all. Maybe he should call it off. A text pinged to Law's phone, and what he saw made Law smirk despite himself. It was from Luffy.

_What time is the flight? Which airport? I can have someone drop me off._

Law hesitated. He didn't know what had gotten into him today because for Law to suddenly start a conversation and possibly rekindle a relationship with someone he hadn't seen in years seemed pretty damn impulsive. Law hadn't even know if Luffy would have wanted to see or speak to him again before the surgeon had made the call out of the blue. Law looked around at the abandoned office, thinking unnecessarily about whether his small office would be reduced to this when he was gone. Suddenly, going on what was fast becoming a vacation with random letters and clues to follow didn't seem like such a bad idea, once Law looked around the vacant, dusty and gloomy room again.

The dark haired surgeon sent the flight details to Luffy without any further prompting. Law figured that his friends were right. He should live a little, for as long as he had left, and take care of a few things along the way. Law retrieved the letter that had prompted him to call Luffy and offer the second ticket, and it was then, as the surgeon was about to pocket it, that he saw there was a second page that he had missed. Law stared at the paper and the few words typed there.

_Don't think too hard about it. Just choose someone and go enjoy things at your own pace for once._

Law narrowed his eyes briefly at that before he let go of the irritation he was experiencing. It would be kind of nice, for once, to set things to a pace he wanted to go, where no one expected anything of him at a moment's notice. Law made a short trip home to pack a suitcase an hour later, and went to the airport some hours after that, with a large bottle of pills of the experimental drug tucked discreetly away in a carry on bag. Law stared out the window of a bus with a sigh, a little irked once more that he had thrilled all of his colleagues when he announced that he was going, and where.

-x-

Law's mood went straight back to being put upon the moment he entered the airport and saw all the people who were there. The blue haired surgeon scowled at all of the people around him and the way the jostled into him, even unintentionally. He despised so much activity going on around him, ignoring the fact he had been working in a fast paced hospital, and if Law hadn't had to catch a flight at a specific time, he would have turned around and waited it out skulking somewhere where there were less people. The blue haired man finally finished getting through the initial check in, and had only to find the gate for his flight. Law took refuge near a window as soon as he spotted the gate for his flight, and decided to wait where he was for Luffy to show up.

If he showed up.

Law still had some reservations about how easily Luffy had accepted the ticket and travelling with him. Shouldn't Luffy be at least a little upset over the lack of communication between the two of them?

"Law!"

An excited shout of his name was the surgeon's only warning before he was hit by a warm body throwing itself on him in what appeared to be a fit of joy. Law staggered back against the sudden onslaught of Luffy wrapping himself in a hug on his person, until Law was let go of moments later. Law was thankful for that. Any longer and he might not have been able to remain standing. Law promptly put the greeting aside, as he did not have the capacity to think about what such a greeting meant, other than that Luffy was happy to see him despite their time apart.

"You look surprised." Luffy greeted, before he smiled, "Did you think I wouldn't show up?"

Law took in Luffy's outfit, a thrown together one, from the looks of it, of a T-shit that Ace no doubt bought him, what with its not so appropriate message, and a pair of blue shorts. The straw hat that Law remembered almost always seeing Luffy wear was on at present, as was the excited grin on the younger man's face. Like he and Law really were about to go treasure hunting, and not getting caught up in what was becoming something shady and suspicious to Law.

"I figured you would turn up." Law stated dryly. "You sounded like you couldn't pass the opportunity to go around the world treasure hunting."

"Nope. Totally awesome idea and if you hadn't brought me, I would have found out and come anyway." Luffy agreed, as if the idea of stalking Law weren't a bad thing.

Law's lips twitched in a faint smile at the ludicrous nature of this sudden plan of his, bolstered by those letters and tickets, before the blue haired man indicated the gate. "We should make sure we don't miss the flight."

"Right. The treasure could be found before we get to it." Luffy agreed cheerfully.

Law thought, for a brief second, that it looked as if Luffy had wanted to ask him something, but instead, the straw hat wearing young man had turned away from him and made a run for the gate.

"Let's go!"

Law followed at a slower pace, a thought about his health coming to mind. He wasn't sure how long this 'follow the clue' or treasure hunt, as Luffy called it, would take. And if it took longer than two weeks, what was he supposed to say? That he was going to die? Law saw Luffy cheerfully chatting to someone at the gate, and decided he really didn't want to tell Luffy such depressing news. No doubt Luffy would insist that Law wasn't dying and that he would get better. Or worse, Luffy could insist that the surgeon use his network of friends to help find someone to cure him.

No, Law wasn't going to say a word, he decided. The blue haired man passed off the tickets and let Luffy lead the way into the plane. Law would keep his dwindling time to himself. Luffy wouldn't have to know that he was dying until they parted ways again. Law would just have to ensure that he didn't give anything away, and that he could discreetly take the experimental drugs when Luffy wasn't looking, in order to avoid questions. It also meant that this had to stay a treasure hunt, so to speak, and nothing more. Law closed his eyes. The past couldn't be called into question between them, as Law knew acting on it would do nothing but but bring unnecessary pain to the both of them. So it was best to leave it alone and-

"Law! Look! We can watch movies!"

Law smiled despite himself; there really was no way for him to dwell on distressing thoughts at the rather expected response from the younger man. It seemed some things never changed. It should be relatively simple to hide some things, Law mused to himself, as he walked along the aisle to find his seat. Considering Luffy's still apparently terrible attention span, keeping his secret ought to be easy. The only thing left for Law to do was convince himself that he wasn't making a mistake, and that he was, as the letter insinuated, just experiencing life at his own pace.

Nothing more, and nothing less.

Making eye contact with Luffy, however, and having the straw hat wearing young man smile in return and grab a hand to tug him along the aisle made a pang of regret course through the surgeon. Law had convinced himself that there were some topics and words better left unsaid at this point, but with the bundle of energy that was Luffy, Law found it more difficult to convince himself that there was nothing to say.

Or do.

Seated on a chair alongside Luffy, who had found a sheet of paper on his chair, Law found himself suddenly caring less and less about what he had just told himself he shouldn't do.

And then he did it.

One moment Luffy was brandishing the paper excitedly, the next Law had turned and dragged Luffy up against him, crashing their lips together in a frantic way before the surgeon could stop himself. Dimly, Law realized that Luffy had thrown his arms around him in return, letter forgotten, before the two of them were lost to what was going on around them as they kissed one another like it was the last thing tethering them to the earth. Law was the first to break the kiss, and promptly let go of Luffy and stared straight ahead.

"I guess you missed me too?" Luffy asked, as he retrieved the letter from the floor.

Law had, but he wasn't going to admit it aloud, especially because of the fact that he had not meant to do what he had. It was selfish of him to give Luffy any hope of restarting their prior relationship that had ended previously due to Law's work taking up all his free time. Law didn't know what to say, and was relieved that Luffy didn't press him at all about why he'd just kissed him, and instead chose to chatter about the letter that had been on the seat. Law didn't miss Luffy leaning against him as he did this, and the surgeon didn't know what to say, as it could have just been an automatic response on Luffy's part.

So Law just listened, and wondered, again, if this was a good idea.


	2. Chapter 2

The muffled murmurs of the people speaking all around them in the cabin of the airplane gave Law something of a calm mind. It was reassuring, that droning, mindless chatter. It put him in the mindset of the hospital he worked at, where it was a regular thing to hear many people speaking at once, and moving from place to place carrying on various tasks. Law had learned to all but tune out the chatter that had gone on around him that was not otherwise necessary to his work. It was easy to fall into a familiar habit, even in a completely different place than usual; easier still to focus on something that wasn't about yourself. Like the random, mainly uninteresting bits and pieces of conversation that Law was picking up around his seat from the people around him.

Not that that helped much, since Law's mind kept drifting back to his condition. This was something of an occurring pattern, and it was one that Law found himself having quite a lot of trouble with this past week, what with the dire news he had received. And then there were the things that were being focused on that weren't even there but there all the same to the blue haired surgeon.

Such as the ticking of a clock that showed no signs of slowing down. An insistent ticking that wasn't audible, but heard all the same. And it was only Law who could hear that nonexistent clock ticking away, counting down the time. Something the surgeon knew that he was imagining but couldn't quite shake off his mind.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Day after day, it was the same sound that Law had experienced this whole past week, and it was ever present as it had been, an ever insidious reminder in the back of Law's mind that his decision to do this impromptu and highly suspicious trip was not what it appeared to be on the surface. Not that a hunt for clues was any more normal a reason to suddenly do something unexpected, all things considered. Nonetheless, it was something Law would cling to tightly; anything at this point that distracted him from the never ending sound of that internalized clock ticking away in the back of his mind. The one that signaled to him that his time was running out.

Depression sunk in yet again while Law sat there in his seat silently, first over his clock analogy, and second, over the sudden realization that he would not, in fact, be ever working in the hospital again. There would be no falling into that automatic day to day routine that he had come to be used to, including all of the emergencies that cropped up and the odd hours of the day that Law had worked over the years.

That was now all gone.

All that Law was left with now was nothing _but_ time in his days, though all that free time only made him come to terms, marginally this past week, about the bleak truth of his condition. There had been no work to keep Law's mind occupied on something other than the future looming before him; nothing to distract the surgeon that the end of his life was drawing near. All that time in the day he had had, that he had necessarily used to dwell, with sudden clarity, over the regrets he now had, as he now had to prepare for the end. The little silver lining was that Law could do what he wanted with those two weeks now. A little craziness may not be such a bad thing in his life at this point, when before Law had been locking himself away from the world, to little effect.

And shut himself off from his few friends, with little explanation most of the time. Not that Law hadn't shut himself off from everyone and and everything before and sometimes days at a time, when the surgeon just needed to be alone. Perhaps that wasn't the best idea, because now, through his previous actions and behaviors, none of his friends likely realized that there was something actually wrong this time.

The surgeon smiled bitterly, wondering how he was supposed to ignore all of the weight of the hopelessness from it all. To keep it from breaking him during this trip. There was no way that someone even as dense as Luffy wouldn't pick up on the fact that something was terribly wrong if Law couldn't keep some things to himself. It wouldn't do to completely lose his composure in front of Luffy of all people, and especially not if Law wanted to keep quiet from the younger man that he was dying. Law briefly closed his eyes to draw in a deep breath, which prompted his closely seated companion to break in on his thoughts with a completely innocent question.

"You gonna take a nap?"

Like Law was even capable of napping right now, even briefly, with the fear of what was to come in his near future firmly in his mind. No, Luffy was the one who was far more likely to fall asleep for no reason at all, or even carry on mumbled conversations in his sleep, none of which he would later remember. When the blue haired man noticed that Luffy was awaiting his answer, Law ventured to answer the question with another concern of his he hadn't yet addressed further than the initial voicing of it. "No, I'm just thinking that you are overly excited for something that is so suspicious." Law said, not bothering to open his eyes. He could practically feel Luffy's breath puffing against the side of his neck, indicating that Luffy was inspecting him, or just ignoring the concept of breathing space. "Does it not occur to you that this could be a wild goose chase?"

"Well, if it is, it'll still be fun to see what it all means, right?" Luffy asked cheerfully in return, as he leaned against Law's shoulder a little heavier than before. "Are you going to read this letter?"

A child screaming some few seats behind them put the answer Law would have given Luffy from the surgeon's mind. It was silly, that the sound of a screaming child would cause his mind to stutter to a sudden halt and go completely blank. Or rather, draw him into more unpleasant thoughts that just wouldn't do to dwell on. Ones where he was alone in the world because of an accident, where he had had no one to turn to for months, and in those months, of having an uncertain future. Corazon had changed that back then, all of those years ago. Given him a home. But now? No one was that could save Law; not with a future that could not be changed, no matter how much the surgeon wished it would. Law found the thought was hard to put it from his mind, especially with the knowledge was marching ever onward with no end.

"I know! You're hungry, aren't you? Am I right?" Luffy, it seemed, was still trying to puzzle out for himself what was up with Law and his unusually morose manner.

He wasn't close in the least bit.

Law took another deep breath and let it out before he tuned the voices of the passengers out and opened his eyes. Law found that the letter from before was still clutched in Luffy's hand, and the straw hat wearing individual himself was staring at him intently from scant inches away. Law stared back imperiously as he turned his head to make eye contact, wondering why Luffy had to be so close. Did the other not realize how tempting it was to just reach out and go in for another kiss? Probably not, Law assumed, because Luffy was a rather oblivious individual until something obvious happened right under his nose to garner his attention.

"You were thinking really hard." Luffy said at once, seeing that he now had Law's undivided attention. With a cheerful smile, Luffy settled comfortably against the blue haired man's shoulder and brandished the letter under his nose. "You didn't even hear me say anything, did you?"

"No." Law agreed bluntly, shifting ever so slightly at the sight of the disappointed pout Luffy sent him, as if it were a great grievance against him to have not actually heard him speaking. Law tactfully did not point out that Luffy more often than not didn't listen to most of what other people had to say unless his attention was on the topic, and it actually mattered to him at the time to person was speaking. The past usually held no interest to Luffy; only the present mattered and what could be done about whatever it was that had caught his attention at the time. The blue haired surgeon hoped this continued to prove true so that there was no discussion of whether their previous relation would be pursued in the near future. That Law found himself wanting to try to pursue it regardless of his health gave him pause, and it made the surgeon clam up and decide that it was best to put his attentions elsewhere right now, before he got too lost in thought again. So, Law knew exactly what to think about.

Those mysterious letters that someone had left him.

"I can't read what the letter says if you keep waving it around like that." Law said when Luffy offered it to him. The blue haired surgeon smiled faintly at the way Luffy shoved the letter into his nearest hand, his posture all but pointing to Luffy's desire to start bouncing excitedly in his seat while he waited. Law smoothed the letter out from where Luffy had rumpled it, and read the computer typed letters on the page.

_The city you are headed to is full of beaches. One of them is where you want to go next._

_Use the symbol on this page to find the second part of this clue; it is in the suite._

The letter was more to the point, but Law saw the symbol on the lower half of the page. It was a crest, of sorts, and Law frowned to himself, thinking the style was familiar to him in some way. It reminded him, almost, of the logos some hotels would use in place of a name, which would coincide with the word 'suite'. Law stared at the crest for a time, briefly lost in thought, before Luffy piped up to draw the surgeon back into the reality of the crowded plane.

"What do you think that symbol is?" Luffy asked, still bouncing faintly in his seat like he had so much pent up energy he had to do the action. Or he was just very excited at the prospect of potential treasure turning up at some point during this venture.

"That we're looking for a specific hotel." Law said, allowing Luffy to take the letter back in order to stare at the symbol on the page curiously. Law continued to speak, "I presume that it is a logo for the hotel, and we'll see it on the building itself somewhere." When there was no response, Law turned his head and found that Luffy was now fiddling with the small screen in the seat in front of him, his interest in the conversation lost now since they had to wait for the plane to land to do anything further. Law smirked at how absorbed Luffy was in his current actions, and the surgeon again found his thoughts sliding to what the hell he thought he was doing here and why he had thought that bringing Luffy as a travelling companion had been a good idea.

"What do you want to watch?"

Law said nothing in the way that Luffy leaned against him again, though the surgeon must have said some noncommittal response, because Luffy chose a movie soon after. Maybe. What mattered to Law was that as soon as Luffy made himself comfortable at his side once more, Law did what felt right to him in that instance. He lifted his right hand and flicked Luffy's hat off his head and onto his lap to give himself easier access to what he planned to do.

Luffy's attention didn't move from the screen. The only outward reaction to what Law had done was for one hand to drop lightly onto the hat protectively.

Law knew that he should have kept his hands to himself, because he was trying not to make a fool of himself and all that. What with all the insistence that the surgeon was giving himself to not give Luffy any reason to think that this was anything but a 'treasure hunt.' Instead of sticking to that plan, Law found him at odds with himself, and it manifested itself in the way that he rested his arm stiffly over Luffy's shoulders. As soon as he deemed it was fine and Luffy didn't protest, Law absently had his fingers trace along the base of Luffy's neck to his hair. The surgeon felt Luffy snuggle closer, clearly unperturbed by the other's actions, and it made Law bolder in his ministrations.

The blue haired surgeon didn't realize just how much Luffy affected him, in the sudden lull of silence that had partially fallen over the plane.

It was only an hour later, when Law realized that he had actually dozed off, and now had his arm resting on the arm of the chair and partially had it wrapped around Luffy's lower back, Law drew away and closed himself off, to prevent any thoughts about what he had just woken up to. If Luffy noticed Law's sudden cold shoulder, the younger man didn't let it be known, especially since Luffy's eyes were still glued to the tiny screen in front of him, hanging on to everything that was happening.

The blue haired surgeon stared off into space; he was a fool. A complete and utter fool for thinking that he could keep a professional distance from Luffy when they had been apart for two years without seeing or speaking to one another. Law just hadn't realized how much of an effect the cheery straw hat wearing young man still had over him. Law knew that there was something he still felt for the other. Law knew it the instant he had been unable to prevent himself from kissing Luffy. Law knew what he was feeling in that small cramped chair in the plane, all right, and it was something he had to deny to himself over and over, to prevent himself from hurting the younger man seated next to him. It didn't stop Law from knowing the feeling.

He was still in love with Luffy.

Had been, years ago, but Law had kept those feelings under wraps and unspoken because of Luffy's seeming oblivious disinterest in his attentions. Law still remembered the first time he had kissed Luffy, in a parking lot after a dinner, and had received a politely puzzled expression and an inquiry of why Law had kissed him. That in and of itself almost turned Law away, until he and Luffy settled into something of a comfortable neutrality in affections that didn't lead to anything but company with one another. Nothing more than kissing and cuddling at times, and neither Luffy nor Law questioned what it was they were doing with one another.

What was clear was that Luffy had no concept of anything past kissing and the casual touching, which, Law found, was something he didn't mind at the time. Law barely had enough free time as it was, so to expect anything more of Luffy wasn't exactly fair, when the surgeon couldn't even see him for weeks at a time due to a heavy workload.

Two years ago was when their relationship had taken a change, because Luffy had been curious as well as blunt as to what Law wanted from him. To have Luffy even voice that aloud had been a surprise in and of itself, and Law had suspected outside interference from one of the younger man's friends, but even so, Law had no pursued the topic because that was when he-

"Law? Are you all right? You sure you're not hungry? 'Cause you're kind of holding on to my arm tight and-."

Law abruptly let go of Luffy's arm at that, not even realizing that he had possessively wrapped his hand around Luffy at that point in time. The surgeon avoided Luffy's puzzled gaze in favor of gripping his seat's arm rest and willing the plane to land more quickly so that he could make an excuse to put himself at a distance from Luffy, for a time, so that he could get his emotions under control. It was infuriating that he couldn't control his emotions in the first place, as Law normally found he could. He ordinarily played things close to the chest, and right now, he was not at all able to hide much.

There was just something about Luffy that made him lose his cool, and it was something Law did not wish to think about.

Even if he already been doing so, and had come to some conclusions.

-x-

It was a relief to finally escape the confines of the plane hours later, and bracing the many passengers in the airport itself was made a bit more bearable because Luffy was just being his usual self and chattering to anyone and everyone he could manage to engage in conversation. It helped Law take his mind off of more troubling thoughts, though he hadn't realized he would be catapulted back into them shortly, once he and Luffy had retrieved their luggage and escaped outside.

"Ace!" Luffy whooped excitedly as he raced forward to greet a freckled man wearing a bright orange hat, belted torn pants, and a crooked grin.

Law hung back, watching the two brothers greet one another. The surgeon felt that it was rather suspicious of the other man to suddenly be there, and wondered whether or not anyone had bothered to tell Ace that wearing no shirt was going to get him turned away from many establishments in the city. Law stiffened when two pairs of eyes fell on him, and he acted accordingly by giving the brothers a narrowed gaze, silent in his demand to know what was going on.

"Luffy texted me to let me know you'd be here." Ace, as usual, was the more intuitive of the two brothers, noticing Law's questioning gaze more quickly than Luffy. "You probably don't want to walk to the city, and the taxi drivers murder your wallet here." The grin gained strength. "Tourists, you know."

Law was mollified with the answer, despite the fact that he didn't recall Luffy texting anyone from the time the younger man had met him at the airport to their arrival outside. Perhaps Luffy had texted Ace before he had initially arrived. Law surveyed the airport parking lot itself, and then the slow, sloping descent into the city situated further along to a coast with a long stretch of beach. Law looked first to Ace's car, and then to the road ahead. It looked like there were a lot of different ways to descend down to the coast, and considering Ace's sometimes rather reckless behavior it wasn't exactly a promising or good idea...

"Come on, Law. Let's go!" Luffy pointed out as he moved forward to hook an arm around Law's, in order to steer him in the direction of Ace's sleek sports car with flames stylized onto the frame and wrapping the entire length of the whole vehicle.

It was illegally parked on the curb, of course.

No surprise there.

Law clenched his jaw and resisted the urge to dig in his feet in protest the closer Luffy brought him to the vehicle. Because of the state of the road and the recklessness that came naturally to Luffy and his brother made Law have obvious reluctance with the driving arrangement. Law wasn't exactly thrilled over the idea to get into the car and with good reason. The surgeon had reservations about Ace's driving habits, having been subjected to them once already, though not ever on any road other then flat land. Law's fears were well-warranted. As soon as the blue haired man had been talked into getting in the car and was buckled in and after Luffy had joined Law in the back of the car, Ace revved the car up and took off like a bat out of hell. Law seized the nearest solid thing in the car, which happened to be Luffy's hand instead of the interior somewhere in the car, and sat rigid in his seat the entire terrifying drive down the sloping road. Even as Ace swerved the car expertly down random turns and accelerated some more, Law's hand kept its death grip of Luffy's hand.

The blue haired man was never getting into another car with Ace ever again.

The thought of him even thinking about anything in the near future caused Law pause, and his hand lost some of the strength of the grip. With a pang of regret coursing through him over the idea that with two weeks left, he wasn't likely to be subjected to another terrifying ride like this ever again. A sense of calm came over Law out of the blue, even if it was completely inappropriate to the breakneck speed Ace took with his car, and the carefree laughing that burst from Luffy at his brother's actions. The out of place calm made Law eventually relax his tight grip on Luffy's hand. That Luffy just held tight to the surgeon's hand the entire way to wherever it was they were going in the coastal city below. It left Law questioning the action, as well as the fact that he himself returned the grasp moments later, as if determined to not let go.

Reflex. That was all it was. Reflex in a runaway car Law wasn't quite sure Ace always had control of.

It was nothing more than that.

Or so Law desperately tried to convince himself, even if the surgeon knew that he was fooling himself at this point when he side glanced at Luffy and caught the younger man's eyes briefly.

Clearly, since he didn't let go of Luffy's hand, the whole convincing himself of certain things wasn't going so well for Law at the moment.

-x-

After breaking the speed limit numerous times, almost running several red lights, and taking faster than would be safe turns, Ace finally entered a parking lot and put the car into park.

Law was out the back door of the car almost immediately, his reluctance to let go of Luffy's hand overcome by a strong desire to double over and try his hardest to not get sick. The sudden change in motion in the car as Ace drove had brought up a queasiness Law had not had in a long time in moving vehicles. It didn't help when Ace exited the car and came over to slap him on the back with a laugh at the surgeon's reaction from his driving.

"Man, I didn't think that would bother you."

The blue haired surgeon made some kind of cross sound at the laid-back statement before managing to find his words. "I suspect that most people would have been bothered, as you say, considering the fact that you were speeding the entire way."

"It all worked out just fine, didn't it?" Ace asked, his grin betraying the sincerity.

Law gave the freckled man a dark look, before the blue haired surgeon realized at once that Luffy was no longer with them. Why hadn't he noticed the younger man's departure? Law hung his head, still doubled over. Well, apart from the fact that he was trying not to throw up, and trying very hard to assure himself that it was because he had not eaten much that day, and that it was not some telltale sign that his body was starting to give out on him. "Where's Luffy?"

"Wandered off." Ace had obviously noticed his brother's departure as well, though he didn't seem too terribly perturbed that this was the case. Instead, Ace headed back toward his car. "I guess that means that you really weren't paying attention to anything Luffy and I were saying in the car, right?"

"No, I was more concerned with making sure we weren't going to speed off the road into a wall or into another vehicle." Law said with a sarcastic bite. "I would have hoped the two of you would have had preservation skills instead of carrying on with a normal conversation.

Ace laughed at Law's tart, strained manner. "Well, Luffy went on ahead to look for the hotel or something. You probably should go after him so he doesn't wander into traffic or something. Well, he is 22, so he should actually be better at that by now but you never know..."

Law recovered from his brief bout of car sickness at those words, and immediately set off with his luggage, as Luffy had taken his along with him wherever he had gone.

"Good luck on that treasure hunt!" Ace called after him. "Don't let Luffy sidetrack you too much. Because before you know it, you'll be paying for an expensive course of meat in a restaurant somewhere. Willingly."

Law raised a middle finger in the air absently, ignored Ace's laughs he received for the motion, and went in the direction of one of the hotels nearby to scope out the crest on the side of the building. He needed to track Luffy down before the straw hat wearing younger man got himself into any trouble. Why Law had to make sure of this was something he doubted he would ever figure out. It was just something he felt compelled to do when he was around Luffy, and keeping the other out of trouble was one of those things.

What actually needed to be done before his two weeks were up was something that Law wasn't willing to contemplate as of yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, of course I got carried away when I didn't think I would, as happens often with new stories, so an earlier update than I thought. I guess my frustration with wasting a lot of time looking for new job opportunities online and turning up nothing prompted me to write out my irritation, and as it is angst driven, it made it easier to work on this fic. Expect the next chapter up sometime between tomorrow and Friday, as it needs more tweaking when I get around to editing it (I need to spend more time revising my opreversebang fic, so I'll see if I can get it up in that time frame).
> 
> I did want to point out too that, as the fic goes on, Law's general depression and hopelessness/doom and gloom about life in general will fade somewhat the more time he spends with Luffy and the more time they spend travelling around going after those clues, and finding distractions along the way. After all, it isn't even the start of day two yet.


	3. Chapter 3

As Law began his search for Luffy, the surgeon found that he was almost grateful for the pedestrian traffic in his immediate vicinity. It successfully distracted him from another round of distressing and perhaps morbid thoughts by giving him a more present concern. That concern being that almost every person around Law was precisely where he did not want or need them to be.

Namely, they were in Law's way.

It seemed that, in this particular busy shopping area, everyone around Law was interested in getting to wherever it was that they were trying to go, and in various states of urgency. It irked Law, distracting him further as the surgeon was forced to focus on preventing collisions with people who were on their phones. Law also had to sidestep pedestrians so deep in conversation with another by their side that they didn't see anyone in front of them. It was more of a minor inconvenience, yet it was one that Law didn't particularly care for at the moment, as it prevented him from locating Luffy. All of the people did, however, have the added benefit that it kept Law's darker thoughts at bay.

But to the matter at hand, the surgeon mused; where in the world had Luffy wandered off to? Law hastily moved closer to the building nearest him to get off of the sidewalk to make a mother who had her three children running wild. As the blue haired surgeon waited for them to pass by, he scoped out the other nearby buildings, which consisted of cafe shops and retail stores along the sidewalk. As people hurried by, Law debated on just how likely it would be that Luffy would have perhaps gone to a cafe or restaurant to get some food. The blue haired surgeon decided against the idea, as Law believed that Luffy couldn't have gotten too far, so he probably didn't have to check all of the restaurants in the city.

Yet.

If he took any longer, Law might actually have to do so. With that in mind, he knew that he needed to get going before that became a reality. Law waited for a group of tourists to pass him by before he got back onto the sidewalk and continued on. For the time being, Law thought that looking for Luffy was far safer than walking alongside him at present. It didn't bode well for Law to dwell on what had happened on the plane because if he couldn't keep his hands to himself, Law wondered what else he may have lost control over. A loss of control in anything in his life was usually frowned upon greatly, because Law knew that he was usually better at keeping himself in check. This especially included things such as letting his feelings be known to someone else, which did not happen very often.

It would be a great deal easier if the blue haired surgeon could keep what he felt for Luffy to himself from now on. To remain focused on the clues, and nothing more, as Law had already told himself several times. There wasn't any point, Law again reminded himself, to give Luffy any reason to worry about him. Not even if the truth may come out unintentionally along the way.

Law closed his eyes briefly. That would prove harder the longer he remained in Luffy's presence. With a faint sigh, Law left those reflections for another time and opened his eyes to scan the nearby hotel. As soon he looked at the building, a crucial detail almost immediately caught the surgeon's eyes.

Despite the potential of a painful discussion that Law might have to broach at some point in the very near future, intended or not, it didn't do anything to hide the relief that swept over Law at the sight of a familiar-looking crest. The one from the letter on the plane. On the side of the hotel that was closest to the lot that Ace had parked in. Why the man couldn't have dropped them off in that lot instead of the lot connected to the sidewalk of pedestrian overcrowding, Law moved a little faster with each of his steps the closer he drew to the hotel. If the blue haired surgeon had seen the symbol, then it was likely that Luffy had seen it as well.

Unless something else had happened to draw his attention.

Law hoped not. He didn't like the idea of spending time looking around the city for Luffy, wasting the precious time he had left in this world because Luffy had been side tracked by something. Even more relief washed over Law as he entered the lobby of the hotel and found Luffy chatting amiably with one of the front desk attendants. Before Law could even reach him, Luffy seemed to have sensed someone coming up behind him because he turned around abruptly

With a bright smile at the sight of Law, Luffy waved the surgeon over. "Hey, over here!"

Law joined Luffy at the desk, his features settling into one of difference, as if he had meant to enter the hotel looking slightly desperate. Since Law had located the person he was looking for, he was a little frustrated over the fact that Luffy was unharmed, as well as clearly oblivious the surgeon's worry being wasted on him. Law couldn't help but smirk at that.

It figured.

"Which room do you want to get?" Luffy prompted, as he indicated the lady he'd been chatting to. "She said there are three suites available right now. The beach suite, the pool suite and the woods suite."

Law gave Luffy a despairing stare, wondering for a moment how dense a person could be. The surgeon sighed at the look Luffy was giving him. It was a wonder that Luffy had any intuition at all with the way he acted so oblivious at times. Taking a breath to center himself, Law spoke neutrally. "The beach suite." The surgeon dropped his voice to add. "The clue said that we would find something on a beach, so it would follow that we should search a beach themed suite, correct?"

"Ah, that makes sense." Luffy said with a confident smile, as if he knew it all along. "I just wanted to see what you thought."

A clear lie, but one Law chose to overlook because of the silliness of it.

"I would have wanted to go to the pool one. We could have been closer to the pool that way." Luffy continued on, as if he had just getting Law's opinion instead of missing the point of the letter. Law wasn't sure which it was, yet, but was betting on the info to have passed Luffy by. As well as the fact that there was a perfectly good sea to swim in close by. Instead of pursing the topic of Luffy's obliviousness, Law merely paid for a night in the beach suite, and took the key to the room with Luffy, who provided a chatter of nonsense topics as they rode the elevator up. The younger man had fallen silent by the time the two of them began to wheel their luggage down a long hall, until they reached their destination.

Room 451. The beach suite.

Law opened the room with the key card, not saying a word as he shoved the door open and entered the room. Law surveyed his surroundings with mild interest, noting all of the beach-themed items in the room, before Luffy came in from behind the surgeon and passed Law by to immediately start a self guided tour of the suite.

"Wow. This room is huge!" Luffy wandered around with an excited grin. "That clue is definitely in here. I can tell!"

Law was in agreement with the other, as it was quite a deal larger than the surgeon imagined a suite at a hotel would be. A small living space with a couch, a more than likely decent sized bathroom, a bed with TV on a dresser across from it, a desk in the corner, and perhaps a balcony behind the closed curtains on the far side of the room. Law gave the room a once over again, and amended his thought. He didn't realize how big it was, or how...colorful it would be. Law's lips twitched into a very brief smile at the features of the room.

The sandy color of the carpeting, coupled with the two tones of deep blue and light for the sheets on the bed certainly put one in the mind of the sea and the beach. So did the bottles of shells lining the far wall, where an indent ran the entire length of that wall to accommodate those shells. The large, ornate wall paintings of various beaches and seas and ships that hung all over the suite did the trick as well. While Luffy was preoccupied with wandering around, Law settled his messenger bag in the closet near the front door to the room, before he went to go scope the bathroom out. Law pushed the door opened and stepped inside, where he stood still and mute a moment at the sight he was greeted with. The first thing that Law saw was the colorful sea creature curtain for the shower, and immediately after that, the cheerful and nearly foot tall dolphin sculpture that was on the counter of the sink. Law eyed the inanimate dolphin with a great deal of unnecessary suspicion.

That was...interesting, and quite the bit disturbing, as the immobile creature was faced in the direction of the toilet. Law did not want to stare at that rather cheerful dolphin looking at him, or his back, when nature called so, surreptitiously, Law turned the dolphin so that it faced a wall. With a shake of his head, Law supposed from the look of the bathroom and the rest of the suite that someone had clearly had fun decorating the room. With a hard stare at another sculpture, this one of an orca, from where it was perched on the side of the Jacuzzi, Law backed out of the bathroom doorway to check on Luffy.

Law looked past Luffy rummaging beneath the desk in the room and to the bed itself, and that was when the surgeon stopped and really let his mind settle on what a night in the hotel with Luffy would mean. Up until now, Law had completely forgotten to think about what the sleeping arrangements in a suite would mean, but one good look at the bed made all of that come to the surgeon in an instant.

A king bed.

That opened up a whole lot of new questions that Law did not want to touch upon, and certainly not with Luffy. Law chanced a look at the person in question, but with Luffy fully absorbed in whatever it was that he was doing, which currently involved a thorough inspection of first the desk and now the curtains that were closed over the windows. Law chose to not point out their sleeping situation. Doubtless Luffy saw the bed as nothing more than something to sleep on, and to have a larger space to roll across without the worry of toppling over and onto the carpet. The blue haired surgeon stared at the bed again, as he, for one, knew that there were certainly more uses for a bed, even if Law hadn't acted upon them often in the past. With a faint jerk of his head to banish those thoughts and the way that they were headed, Law turned and went over to the couch.

It was safer for the blue haired surgeon to be settled there on the couch than still standing with his eyes glued on the bed. To not be contemplating the what-if's in life, and the possibilities of a future that he might have pursued had Law not been in the condition he was in. And now Law had to consider everything carefully about what going on in his life, and especially now that he had Luffy with him. There was still a high likelihood that the younger man could discover Law's secret. Though that wasn't to likely happen today. The blue haired surgeon didn't have anything to worry at present, after all, apart from the potential that Luffy insist that he help search for the elusive letter they were supposedly to find here.

Since Luffy didn't ask for Law's assistance, the blue haired surgeon supposed that meant he could rest a little. Law closed his eyes to the whirlwind of activity in the suite that was Luffy, and chose to think about what his life had come to. Law never imagined he would be going on a sudden vacation with someone and that it was with Luffy was still hard for the surgeon to accept. Law vaguely heard the young man in question shifting the furniture around in the room, and it caused a tiny smile to cross Law's lips. It was a tricky thing, trying to tamp down any feelings he still had for Luffy. It was even trickier to make the attempt to not act upon those feelings, since Law had already caved in and done as such.

It seemed that an inevitable death was not as much of a deterrent as Law would have expected it to have been.

The clue in the room was hidden well, because it was late into the evening before Luffy let out a triumphant shout from atop the king bed, waving a sheet of paper that had been hidden underneath one of the many pillows there.

"Law! I found it! The second part of the clue!"

Law shook himself out of his semi-doze that had followed unpleasant and rather depressing thoughts, though the surgeon offered a wry smile despite being not altogether there. "Well done. We can look into it tomorrow." At Luffy's puzzled, disappointed look, the surgeon added with a drawl, "Time for bed, don't you think?" Law couldn't help but smirk at Luffy's sudden expression of surprise at the time, and, with a brief glance at the sheet of paper in hand, Luffy set it down on the desk in the room. Law nearly lost his usual cool when Luffy just dropped onto one side of the king bed without further question, almost instantly asleep as soon as he hit the mattress. Law had not expected the other man to take him literally, and it was rather funny, in a way, considering how enthusiastic Luffy had been about searching for the clue and continuing on with the treasure hunt.

It was just as well, as Law found that he was actually exhausted, despite his short nap. It made sense, considering his mostly sleepless nights this past week. Any time Law actually felt that he could sleep was a time the blue haired surgeon knew he had to try and attempt to get the rest his body desperately needed. To make the rest of his days more bearable. Law had a feeling, too, that he would need all the rest he could get to handle Luffy. But sleep was lost on Law the instant he remembered one thing that he had not done that day, as preoccupied as he had been. What with all of the surprises Law had received in such a short amount of time. With a furtive glance to ensure that Luffy was still fast asleep, Law got up and crossed to where he had hung his messenger bag in the closet. After a brief moment's hesitation, Law opened up a pocket and shakily drew out a pill bottle. With a firm press of his lips at his own actions, Law considered the bottle before opening it and taking out a single, large pill. Law replaced the bottle in the bag, and used a glass of water from the sink in the bathroom to down the pill, not letting himself think about what it was.

And what it might or might not do for him.

At the thought of the pill, however, it was too late for Law to do anything but focus on it, as the mere act of taking the pill made the surgeon lose all composure. In that moment, Law knew for certain that there would be little to no sleep for him that night, as he did before merely remembering he had to take the drug starting that day. He was dubious at best whether the drug would prolong his life past his expected two weeks left, but Law didn't want to begin to think about what would happen if it didn't do anything at all.

Law's attention fell on Luffy briefly, before the surgeon turned away, his gaze hardening in self-loathing over the fact that he was being a fool. Really. What in the world did he think he was doing? Why had he kissed Luffy? Why did Law keep touching the younger man so causally? Acting as if they had never left one another's side? Why? Law knew there should not be a relationship between the two of them for the sole reason that he would not be around long enough to put himself or Luffy through that kind of pain. Law knew it, and yet he had forgone common sense time and again ever since he had gotten on that accursed plane. Law ran a hand through his hair as he let out a frustrated sigh. No, it would be too cruel to keep up what he had been doing on that plane. Law didn't mind taunting and teasing people, but he had no desire to lead Luffy on like that. Not when Law knew that he was going to go and die on the younger man in the end.

The blue haired surgeon squeezed a hand into a fist, his jaw set. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair in the least bit. Not to him, and not to Luffy. Law realized that he no longer had a choice in how he died. It was just going to happen, whether or not he wanted it to. What Law did have choice over was how he would interact with Luffy. The surgeon's attention drifted over to Luffy once more. Golden eyes softened a tad at the sight that Law was greeted with.

Luffy's arms were now flung out to either side of him on the bed as the younger man snored uproariously on his back, dead to the world.

The blue haired surgeon felt another twinge of guilt for not telling Luffy of his circumstances. But Law had already decided that he wouldn't, out of the knowledge of what the other would do in response. It was too painful to think of Luffy becoming overly optimistic instead of despairing right along with Law. Luffy most certainly would insist that Law would live and be right as rain if they just found the right person to help him. See something the other doctors and Law himself hadn't. Law knew better the reality of his condition, unfortunately, and knew for certain that there was no miracle cure in the world that could save him now. Law was certain of it, and while he hadn't accepted the thought of dying as of yet, even the blue haired surgeon knew that it was no use to futilely try to fix what couldn't be mended. To be unable to delay what was inevitable, apart from the potential the pills in his messenger bag could provide. At least a few days more, if anything. Law let out a low, drawn out sigh as he watched Luffy flop over onto his stomach again with a mumbled moan of 'meat'. Law remained where he was standing for a time, mind racing, though Law did not wish to tempt himself more than he already had. But that didn't stop him from musing about what had once been.

Law marveled over the fact that the two of them had met again, and under such strange circumstances that only Luffy would ever accept without question. Luffy hadn't even asked, really, why Law had chosen to break the two year silence. Why now, of all times? Would Luffy ask him sometime, and Law would be unable to give him a good reason without hurting the both of them because of that reason? Suddenly, Law felt he had to get away, for a short time, anyway, and remove himself from the situation, before he did something he regretted. With a final look at the slumbering Luffy, and unable to shake the feelings the younger man was still was able to make Law experience, the surgeon took the key card with him from the nearby table and left the room.

The blue haired surgeon needed to be somewhere else for a time. Somewhere he could be alone with his own thoughts, in an attempt to come to terms with some matters that he was avoiding, apart from his soon to be deteriorating health. But when Law arrived at his destination, he found that he was not as alone as he thought upon entering the lobby.

Ace was there, sprawled on a chair, and didn't look the least bit surprised to see the surgeon.

Why Luffy's brother was even there was a mystery, though Law presumed it was because the other man was merely interested in if he had found Lufffy after their previous parting. Quite inappropriately, it was on the tip of Law's tongue to ask Ace if he had yet had the chance to visit the volcanoes at the edge of the city.

"How's Luffy?" Ace prompted, as soon as the surgeon had drawn near enough to speak to.

It was funny how a simple statement like that was what made Law's thoughts be torn into several different directions. How it dashed away any previous thoughts from before. The main one being that Luffy would be fine as long as he didn't realize that Law was dying. Happy and oblivious, without the knowledge that by being in Law's company now, Luffy was currently spending the last of Law's limited amount of time in the world with him.

It was last time they would ever _be_ together.

A lump formed in Law's throat at that revelation, rendering him incapable of speech. The surgeon hesitated mid step before he forced himself to walk over to a chair. Law sat down hard on the cushion, and stared across the short distance to Ace. The surgeon took a breath and let it out as he shoved away the guilt and the pain to answer Ace's question. "He's fine. He is currently dead to the world despite the snoring."

"Thought so." Ace laughed in return before his expression turned serious. "And you? Is this another one of those sleepless nights that Luffy told me you had at times?"

Law went on guard at that even as he responded dryly. "It seems so." A silence stretched between them, and when it seemed like there was nothing to be said at that, Ace dropped another question on the surgeon.

"Why did you call Luffy after not speaking to him for two whole years?" Ace's eyes bored into Law's, sharp and accusing, "You have a good reason, don't you? He was pretty torn up about you not contacting him."

"Would it be foolish to say that the letter I received this morning prompted me to end my silence?" Law answered at length. "That it made me reconsider some choices I've made?"

"I suppose it could, but it does seem strange for someone like you to follow these 'clues' or whatever it was that Luffy was calling it." Ace returned, clearly not satisfied with Law's vague attempt of an answer.

"There is another reason, but it isn't one I wish to speak about or contemplate at present." Law replied, feeling as if he were being interrogated. Dread settled in soon after, as the surgeon was getting the oddest feeling that Ace was trying to get him to confess to him about the 'reason'. Law wouldn't, couldn't, chance the information getting back to Luffy, even if it would help Ace understand why Law had called Luffy earlier in the day, after so much silence.

"Is the reason you have going to cause any harm to my brother?" Ace stared hard at Law.

The dark haired surgeon couldn't retain eye contact, so he dropped it to stare at Ace's nose. "If he doesn't keep his distance, it might, though not in a physical sense." Law flinched when Ace was suddenly up off his chair and close enough to give him a slap on the shoulder.

"Keep it that way, then. He was already hurt enough not hearing from you before." A pause, before some humor seeped into Ace's voice once more. "Don't keep things to yourself. Maybe you'd feel better telling Luffy about them, though I wouldn't be surprised if Luffy falls asleep on you mid explanation. If that happens, just bait him with meat and you might actually get him to half listen to you." Ace gave Law's shoulder another, lighter slap, before he walked off toward the hotel entrance. "See ya around."

Law was silent as he watched Ace hightail it out the door at a sudden shout, which belonged to a security guard who had come running out of a nearby room to give chase. Law smirked, just realizing that the hotel lobby and its front doors must have been closed for the night. The lobby was silent once more after the security guard took off after Ace through the parking lot, and the silence made Law's mind drift. The blue haired surgeon knew that there were some things that he would have to keep to himself, no matter how much he may had wished otherwise. How better it would have been to come clean and not feel like he was lying to Luffy by acting as if everything were fine. But Luffy was so upbeat and happy that Law couldn't bring himself to want to break that mood, no matter how cross the surgeon knew he may become in the face of that cheerfulness. Why he and Luffy had had a relationship in the first place was a mystery, since they were so different. Despite having some reservations about the relationship, Law knew that he couldn't imagine not meeting and having Luffy in his life after the fact.

So why was it so hard for Law to let go of their relationship, or lack thereof at present, so that he didn't hurt someone he cared about?

The now empty lobby of the hotel held no answers to the questions Law had, and the hopelessness of it all had really begun to sink in again. Because beginning tomorrow, the blue haired man would have less than two weeks to live. Law's gaze fell onto a clock on a nearby wall, and heard it ticking away the time for him in an audible way.

_Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock._

Time was marching on as it always had, and it would continue to do so even after he was gone. But now, instead of Law counting down the days until he knew that he would die, Law found that it had begun to change into the number of days the surgeon had before he died and left Luffy behind.

Alone.

Somehow, that realization only made the helplessness of the situation worse, because it made Law realize that he had much more to lose than he initially believed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yes, I love to torment characters (especially Law). No one should surprised by that at this point, since I do it with a lot of other stories. And now I am going to go back to working solely on my opreversebang fic. After that's been posted, I'll see where I am at with all of my fics and which I'll update next.


	4. Day 2: Along the Shore

Time wasn't going to stop for him, and Law knew that it was a useless endeavor to even begin to think that it would. The dark haired surgeon didn't need to see a physical clock to let him know that with every passing second, he was closer to dying and leaving everything he knew behind.

Every _one_ he knew.

Law sagged in the chair he was seated on in the lobby of the hotel as he ran a hand over his face and sighed. He had to stop that. Law knew he had to stop dwelling on the time he had lost, and the remaining time he had left before the end.

But he couldn't.

_Tick tock. Tick tock._

It would all end whether he liked it or not, and the longer Law sat there in the lobby, silent but for that infernal ticking of a nearby clock, the more Law despaired.

Despaired that he was helpless to stop what would come, and selfish because he wouldn't tell Luffy or anyone else, apart from his coworkers, who already knew, that he knew that he was going to die. It was a never-ending cycle of depression and self-loathing, and sitting there and stewing in all of those feelings was only making Law feel worse than he already did.

Law's gaze rose to the hall that led to the elevator, and considered, briefly, staying where he was for the night.

But he couldn't.

The surgeon felt obligated to go back up to the hotel room, because he didn't want Luffy to wake up and be alone in that room. Breath caught in Law's throat as he thought about the implications of that, and how it was uncomfortably close to how Luffy would soon be waking up in the future. Waking up alone, because Law would be gone, and there was no way he would be coming back.

Not from death.

A sick feeling settled in the pit of Law's stomach at that, and it made the surgeon rise from the chair more swiftly, as if to remedy the situation as soon as possible. And get himself as far away from that clock as he could, because Law didn't need an audible reminder of something that remained in his mind no matter what he did to try and distract himself. The ride up in the elevator did nothing to calm his nerves, as the ping for each floor registered in Law's mind as nothing more than something to remind him of time moving on.

It was frustrating, the way Law couldn't stop thinking about time, now that he had so little of it left.

By the time Law reached the hotel suite and opened the door, he was even more troubled than he had been when he had initially left. That feeling retreated, however marginally, as soon as Law saw Luffy. The surgeon couldn't help but smile at the sight of the younger man sprawled on the bed on his back with his arms outstretched across the bed in either direction, as if searching for something. Or a certain someone. Law removed his shirt, as it felt too constricting at the moment, before the surgeon settled on the edge of the bed. As Law had expected, Luffy seized his right arm in his sleep and held on.

It was funny how much that little action made Law feel like someone punched him in the gut, and the way his throat constricted. Luffy didn't know Law was dying. He wouldn't know, if Law was able to keep quiet about it. But Luffy so easily grabbing him and holding on while fast asleep hurt Law more than he thought it would, because he wasn't being fair to the younger man by withholding a very dire secret.

With a slow, morose sigh, Law carefully settled on his back without disturbing Luffy's sleepy hold on his arm. Law took a deep breath and let it out, before he closed his eyes, trying very hard not to roll over and hold Luffy to him. Law dozed off into a fitful sleep, so it was understandable that he was grumpy when suddenly it was morning and Luffy was tearing the curtains aside to let the light come into the room.

It was too bright.

"Come on! Let's go look for the next clue!"

Law dragged a pillow over his head in response to Luffy's enthusiastic insistence that they go out and do something. Law heard Luffy approach the bed and held the pillow more firmly over his head the moment the younger man seized it as if to pull it away. Law stubbornly held on, and it became a silent tug of war with Luffy keeping hold of the pillow, while Law held it in almost a death grip. The inanimate object was a barrier between the surgeon and the sunlight, as the brightness only reminded Law that it was a new day. That he now had less than a full two weeks to live. It was a sobering way to wake up, despite Law's dark thoughts the night before.

"Come on, Traffy!" Luffy insisted eagerly, before he succeeded in seizing control of the pillow, which he tossed over onto a chair in the room.

Law squinted up at the younger man as if he were the devil himself for waking him at such an hour. Law squeezed his eyes shut as Luffy lightly bounced on the bed beside him. The surgeon shifted across the bed and further away, fingers inching toward another pillow. Added to that bouncing, Luffy was far too awake for Law to deal with right now, and a little more sleep would surely help push away unpleasant reminders of it being a new day.

And one step closer to when he would die.

Law froze midway toward seizing another pillow when Luffy leaned in close and pecked him on the cheek. What surprised the surgeon so much was that the action had been done by the younger man as if it were a casual reflex. As if it didn't mean more to the surgeon than Luffy realized. It was enough to prevent Law from smothering himself with another pillow, the fight completely gone from his body in the face of Luffy's optimism. Law just couldn't win; no matter what he tried to do or how he made the attempt to convince himself that he should not encourage Luffy in anyway.

It was a futile battle.

Law couldn't stop the force of nature that was Luffy, and had the surgeon been in perfect health, he knew that he that he wouldn't have been trying to resist so much.

"You're not going to go back to sleep, are you?" Luffy asked, as he looked at the way Law's tattooed hand had halted its progress toward another pillow. "You said we would look for the clue today." Luffy watched Law's slow progress of emerging from the blankets, and then added, with a grin, "You're going to go like that?"

Law noted his pants clad only body, and, with a sigh, slide off the side of the bed to pad over to his suitcase. Not giving much thought to another person being in the room with him, Law pulled on a yellow hoodie, and, with an exasperated hiss at the pants he wore, tugged them down and off. After brief consideration, the briefs went as well, and that was when Law became aware of the fact that he'd was flashing Luffy with his bare ass.

And Luffy just remained on the bed and hummed cheerfully.

Law would not have had as much restraint.

With a slow breath in and out, Law retrieved a new pair of boxer briefs and slipped them on, followed by patterned jeans which he secured with a belt. At movement from out of the corner of his eye, Law peeked to check on his companion, and froze in place at Luffy shedding his clothes unabashedly, as if seeing Law do similarly had reminded the younger man he wanted to change as well. Law found that he couldn't keep his eyes off of Luffy, even though the other's back was to him as he pulled on a new shirt and shorts.

"Hmm? What is it?" Luffy, oblivious to the effect he was having, as per usual, had caught the look Law had fixed him with.

"It's nothing." There most certainly was something but Law found that it would be in bad taste to say just how much the sight had gotten to him. Law was quick to give a shake of his head to dissuade further questioning, and instead directed the topic to something easier to speak about, "Where do you think the clue on the beach will be?"

"We'll just have to look for it until we find it." Luffy replied as he jammed his straw hat on his head and went to the desk to retrieve the letter containing the clue from the previous night. Luffy all but bounced back over to Law to bump up against his side to share the contents of the letter with the taller man.

Law, against his will, leaned against Luffy in return to take in the letter's contents. The surgeon just barely managed to resist draping an arm over Luffy's shoulders, but Law doubted that Luffy would have noticed, as absorbed as the younger man was in the letter.

_Between silent sentinels, see the path._

_Take ten paces, and look left._

_Shadows extend, to keep it hid,_

_Beneath the sands find what you seek._

"A bit different than before, isn't it?" Law asked dryly as he read it through again. "It's more of a riddle."

"To treasure." Luffy agreed, as he frowned at the words. "What are sentinels?"

"I suppose another word for it could be guardians." Law said absently. "In this case, I doubt it is anything living. It's likely a statue of some sort." The dark haired surgeon recalled seeing some statues on the drive in to the city when he hadn't been fearing for his life in Ace's car.

"Let's go to the beach and look for that then!" Luffy said confidently, as if he'd come to the same conclusion. The younger man pocketed the letter and made his way to the hotel door, clearly very excited about finding something on the beach.

Law stood in place, mainly because he again doubted what he ought to be doing and what he should avoid doing while around Luffy. It was much more difficult than the surgeon had anticipated, based off of just his actions yesterday.

"Don't stare off into space!" Luffy was suddenly at Law's side again. "We don't want someone else finding our clues! Or any treasure."

Law stared down mutely at where Luffy had seized his hand, before he raised his gaze to meet Luffy's expectant one. It was things like simple touch that had Law fighting so much with himself, and Luffy didn't seem to have a care in the world or even have the knowledge of what his touch was doing to the surgeon. A brief stretch of silence went by before something seemed to pass between them.

To Law, he knew that it was a lost cause because he had no resistance whatsoever to his next actions. It was a knee-jerk reaction. One that would have made sense any other time but now when he should have known better then to get carried away. Throwing caution to the wind, Law gripped Luffy's hand in return and leaned over to kiss him, and found that the younger man didn't seem to mind in the least bit. A nasty voice in the back of Law's mind told him he was being a selfish fool and that kissing Luffy was a stupid thing for him to do.

But logic was thrown out as Law pressed closer and dared to wrap his free arm around Luffy's back. How long he stood there kissing the younger man was up for debate, because in that moment, Law's dark and troubling worries were not there. It was proof to how much Law needed that kiss that he found himself a great deal calmer when he drew away from Luffy and dropped his arm away from the straw hat wearing man's back.

Luffy still held onto Law's hand, despite the surgeon's silent tug to free it. Luffy wasn't having any of it, as if the younger man thought Law would try to slip away back into bed.

"Ready to go?"

Law couldn't help but smile at the enthused words, as Luffy hadn't even batted an eye at the very intimate gesture Law had visited upon him. It was instances like those that Law appreciated, because under normal circumstances, Law wouldn't have dared to be so bold as to kiss Luffy out of the blue. It frustrated Law to no end, because he knew that the only reason he was giving in so easily was because he was dying. It was as if some part of him wanted to shower Luffy with kisses and affection that would normally would have be absent those two years ago. Much to Law's chagrin, he knew that kisses didn't mean as much to Luffy as it meant to him. What did matter to Luffy was time spent with his friends, and Law knew that the younger man was already just enjoying the fact that he got to spend time with him and had no clue that the time they were spending together now was the last Luffy would see of-

"Law?"

The other's voice pulled Law out of another downward spiral of distressing thoughts about his impending death. With an effort, Law faced Luffy and offered a barely-there smirk. "I guess we should go before someone gets to the beach before us."

"Right." Luffy said with a great big smile.

The ridiculously happy smile struck Law hard and sent a wave of guilt over him soon after, because the surgeon couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of expression Luffy would wear should Law's condition reach his ears. It stung just to think about it. How that smile would likely be replaced with one of concern. Law let out a gasp when Luffy tugged him along toward the door with a laugh.

"We can get our stuff later. I got the letter with me, so that's all we need right now." Luffy tossed another smile over his shoulder at the surgeon. "I bet there's something good on that beach!"

Law resigned himself to being led along the hall of the hotel by an overly enthusiastic Luffy, but with the other's back to him, Law couldn't help but let slip a more genuine smile. It just figured that Luffy would be able to keep him focused on the present, as that seemed to be the only time that Luffy lived in year-round.

For Luffy, there were no worries for the past and what had happened, just as there were no concerns for what the future held with what might come to pass.

Law slowly fixed his gaze down to where his hand was being held firmly by Luffy, and just the sensation of having his hand held by another person made Law find that he was unable to bring himself to pull away. He needed that touch, despite what his own future held, and as it made Luffy happy to hold his hand, Law actually held the other's hand just a little bit tighter. Tight enough for Law to let himself know that he was really there in that hotel with Lufffy, and there was a flutter of warmth in Law's chest when Luffy chose to link their fingers together in a firmer grasp as they walked. Law found the firmness reassuring as well as good in calming him.

Law hadn't realized he'd needed the reassurance that another person brought. It held more meaning to Law than he felt Luffy would ever realize. That the younger man continued to keep his fingers linked with Law's while they rode the elevator down to the lobby put some nameless emotion in Law's chest. The feeling he got looking out of the corner of his eyes at Luffy made Law realize that he was already getting in too deep. He had to stop showing his feelings for Luffy so obviously, and he had to do it as soon as possible. Law couldn't keep lying to himself if he didn't stop, because he knew that his condition would only deteriorate and make it harder to continue that lie. Law had to stop, before the truth came out and he could no longer keep things hidden behind a smirk and empty reassurances.

"Hey, don't space out."

Law reluctantly allowed Luffy to continue to lead him along, though his hand twitched the faintest bit as the thought of his condition being revealed to Luffy became center focus. Law had to stop being anything other than a friend to Luffy. But as soon as Law met Luffy's broad smile outside of the hotel and watched the younger man let go of his hand to race in the direction of the beach, Law's hand clenched into a fist over what couldn't be. Then, just as soon as the tension had come, it all left, leaving behind a worn out, withdrawn Law. The surgeon knew that what he needed to do was something that he just couldn't bring himself to do.

Law couldn't stop showing his emotions around Luffy, for the main purpose that he wanted Luffy to stay. It was selfish of him, but Law wanted Luffy to stay with him for as long as he could get the younger man to remain with him. Law hated himself for the realization, because it wouldn't be fair for Luffy to learn, likely within a week, that his friend was dying. But Law would hold out for as long as he could. There was no going back now; Luffy would insist on staying with him for the duration of looking for clues, and if that happened to dig into what time Law had left, he would deal with the fallout later.

"Traffy! Hurry up!"

Law straightened himself, hoping to hide what he had been dwelling on as he went along after Luffy, who was already quite a ways ahead of him. Law went through a crosswalk and joined Luffy on the beach, and as they began to follow the clue the letter left, the surgeon came to yet another realization.

If Law was honest with himself, he wanted Luffy there searching for clues with him because the surgeon didn't want to be alone. Not because the first letter had indicated he should take someone with him. As soon as Law had heard Luffy's voice over the phone the day before, Law had known that he didn't want to be alone. Not anymore. Not when his life was coming to an end. That Law wanted to spend the rest of the time he had left with Luffy was something he would dwell on at a later. That is, if Law had enough in him left to pursue that train of thought in a few days. The pain that would accompany him each day was sure to build up, and it was only the experimental drugs Law had in his messenger bag that might delay that.

The pills...

Law discreetly slipped the bottle out of his messenger bag and took another dosage. As Law hid the bottle and resumed walking, he knew that it would be best to take it twice a day to see if there would be any benefits to come from the experimental drug.

"Where do you think those sentinels are?" Luffy asked suddenly, as he turned this way and that on the beach. "All I see are a lot of rocks."

Law came to a halt next to Luffy's side, and tried his best to smile when the younger man turned to him with an expectant expression. Right now, Law needed to pretend that everything was fine, even if it was so far from the truth that the surgeon briefly wondered why Luffy didn't see the despair hidden behind the smirks and occasional smiles. It helped, the surgeon supposed, for the other man to not notice anything unusual. Law didn't want to tip Luffy off so easily that something was wrong, because it would hurt the surgeon so much more to see Luffy come to the realization that someone he cared about would be gone in less than two week's time.

"Hey, that one kind of looks like an animal." Luffy went over to the rock to inspect it, not noticing the brief flash of grief that lit Law's entire features at the younger man's actions.

"But are there two of them together?" Law finally said, once he trusted himself to speak. The sight of Luffy rocking back on his feet with a hum as he swiveled his head to look for another statue made Law's throat lock up, making words more difficult to come by. It was hard. It was so hard for Law to keep things to himself. But he had to. He didn't want to make Luffy unhappy.

"Darn, there's only one of them." Luffy had finished his inspection, and looked disappointed.

"It's a big beach." Law reminded him. "And we've only just started."

Seeing that smile aimed his way again hurt, but seeing as Law wanted Luffy to keep smiling, he just offered a hint of a smirk in return. Law decided, as he had before, that he would say nothing about his condition. As Law watched Luffy race along the shore on the lookout for statues, the surgeon hoped that he wouldn't come to regret his silence on the matter at a later date.


	5. Chapter 5

The expanse of beach was far larger than Law had anticipated it would be, though the relief for him was that he and Luffy were one of the few people out in the early morning hours. It made it easier to not have to worry about anything other than keeping an eye on Luffy and where the younger man would weave in between the rocks littering parts of the shore. In order to avoid colliding with Luffy's dizzying trail, Law took to walking closer to the sea water that lapped up along the sandy shore.

The blue haired man didn't mind getting his shoes wet, though he did take care to avoid the larger waves that came inland, to where he would maneuver himself automatically away from the surf until it retreated. The wet sand gave way beneath his feet, but Law enjoyed what was otherwise complete silence punctured only by the sound of the waves and the birds that passed overhead. It was calming; so much more calming than being inside of the hotel with dark thoughts of something Law knew he couldn't change. It kept coming back to that. Law was helpless in the face of what would happen in the near future, and it was slowly eating away at him. If Law was honest with himself, the only thing that now kept him from wallowing in despair was the fact that Luffy was there with him.

Luffy, who was further ahead on the beach and looking around with a put upon expression, as if the sentinels that he was looking for were hiding from him on purpose.

Law couldn't help but smile a little at the thought, as something inanimate couldn't exactly hide, and they merely needed to come across what the letter had been hinting at. The blue haired surgeon's gaze dropped to the wet sand he was walking along, before he made the harmless mistake of casting a casual look over his shoulder to see how far he'd walked. Law stopped dead, heedless of the water that washed up against his shoes, as a ridiculous amount of anxiety swept over him at the sight of his previous footsteps being washed away with every gentle wave that came ashore.

Washing away the fact that he had ever been there.

Law's throat constricted, the mere sight causing him to briefly stop breathing altogether as implications from that harmless sight hit him hard. The waves, washing away his footsteps. His illness, eating away at his body until it could no longer fight back. His disease was going to erase his existence from the world as surely as those waves were causing his footsteps in the sand to fade away into nothing.

And when Law's illness ran its course, he would be gone too.

Law clenched his hand into a fist and tried to breathe, and it came to him in sharp, shaky breaths. Law attempted to take his mind off of the otherwise harmless sight. The fresh, cool morning breeze that hit Law made it very difficult to continue walking when he was damn near paralyzed from there mere thought of being gone. Again. It was as if the whole world were reminding him in little ways that he didn't have much longer to live. It was as if nothing Law did could keep his mind away from the ever present, slowly ticking clock that was his reminder of how much time he had left. The air that breezed off the sea had a salty tinge to it, and in turn, the breeze gave Law a melancholy air in addition to the fear of dying. Just like the footsteps being washed away by the surf, Law found there was something about being there on the beach with Luffy that made him sad. Law knew it had to do with his limited time and the fact that the younger man currently combing the sand for clues further ahead of him didn't know that there was anything wrong.

Why a harmless thing like his footsteps being washed away, combined with the cool breeze buffeting him as he stood in place made his despair grow, Law wasn't entirely sure. While calming at first, the sound of the waves had begun to be too much, but it wasn't like he could leave the beach without giving good reason for why he was doing so. The blue haired man just knew that the difficulty of forgetting his troubles was there and would continue to be there, but it wasn't like he had a switch in his head to turn off unwanted thoughts. And no matter how much Law tried to lie to himself and say that there was nothing wrong with being here with Luffy, there was the impending sense of doom and unease that Luffy would figure out what was wrong.

Law lying to Luffy was something that dug into the surgeon deeply, but Law attempted to justify it to himself. After all, it was lie anyone should have seen through.

A lie about how he was fine and not that he was now living on a limited amount of time.

The blue haired surgeon remained in place for what seemed like a very long time. It was only when Law was able to get his breathing under control and had pushed away some of his unwanted thoughts did Law realize that Luffy was calling out to him.

"Hey! Law! Over here!"

Law closed his eyes against the light breeze that continued to buffet him. Law let the cool air wrap around him as he attempted to let go of the rest of his worries that had been brought to the forefront of his mind due to his vanishing footsteps in the sand.

For now, Law managed to do clear his mind of those worries as soon as Luffy called out to him again.

"Traffy?"

The blue haired surgeon opened his eyes and glanced up. Law caught sight of Luffy a short distance away, kneeling in the sand and waving at him with both arms, an excited look on the younger man's face. Law couldn't help but smile faintly in return at the sight. It must be nice to have no worries. Law's lips twisted into a self-deprecating smile as he began to head toward Luffy, the surgeon putting his footsteps being washed away by the sea behind him. No worries, because Law was hiding the truth. And he would continue to hide the truth if that kept Luffy smiling.

"Did you find those sentinels?" Law asked dryly as he came to a halt next to Luffy. A hand reached up and gripped his wrist in reply, giving it a tug. Law pursed his lips into a thin line at kneeling in the sand. He then let out a sigh and did so anyway, as the blue haired man reminded himself he would do anything to ensure that the younger man remained upbeat and positive.

"Tiny statues." Luffy answered, using his free hand to point at two tiny rocks carved roughly into animals. "It's in the shade and ten paces away from those bigger ones." Luffy indicated two large, carved statues a short distance away.

"How would these hold a clue?" Law stared at the rocks the younger man was kneeling before, a monkey and a large cat of some kind. There was a space between the two rocks; both animal face's pointed in the same direction. Looking forward at the sand.

"Maybe it's like buried treasure." Luffy said, as he let go of Law's wrist and started to dig in the sand in front of the tiny rocks with a burst of excited energy. "The letter before said it was in the shadows and beneath the sand."

"Make sure you don't tear anything that you find." Law stated as he shifted on his knees to the side to avoid the sand being thrown into the air by Luffy.

"Right." Luffy agreed, even as he continued to tear into the sand.

Law just smirked; it figured Luffy wouldn't take to logical advice very well. The blue haired surgeon didn't have to wait for long before Luffy let out a whoop at finding a crinkled piece of paper pressed between two large seashells.

"Found it." Luffy announced as he dropped the shells in favor of opening the piece of paper carefully.

Law gave in to the idea of sand on his clothes and settled into a seated posture. He rested his back against a large rock nearby and didn't outwardly react to Luffy coming right over to him and pressing up against his side. Law stiffened in response to the warm body against his, before he relaxed and inclined his head to inspect the paper that Luffy had found and was now trying to show him. The blue haired surgeon turned slightly and with only a shadow of guilt that crossed his mind, Law wrapped an arm around Luffy's waist and held him snugly to his side. Law read the typed note over, despite being distracted by the younger man resting his head against his shoulder.

_Snow year round, white all over,_  
_Find the next clue in the land of ice._  
 _Blades will point the way,_  
 _Yet mountains are too far away._  
 _Between blade and mountain_  
 _You will find,_  
 _The next step of your journey._

"It's getting rather poetic, isn't it?" Law read the letter over again and then shook his head. "There are several places in the world that are winter all year long, and that are near mountains." 'I don't have time to visit them all' was left unsaid. Already Law was feeling uncertainty about what would happen if he and Luffy couldn't find the next clue. Would Luffy lose interest or keep going? What would happen if there were no more clues after the next one? Would Luffy...leave?

Law's arm tightened around Luffy's waist. The blue haired man didn't want that. Not when he just realized how much he was missing out on since he's not had Luffy in his life the past two years. He wanted Luffy to stay, for as long as was possible. Whether Law wanted Luffy around when his time was up...the surgeon hadn't yet decided. He was still conflicted over the whole thing and whether or not to give in and admit what was wrong.

"Maybe it's mountains that are nearby." Luffy interrupted Law's thoughts. "Maybe in a cave."

"I highly doubt anyone would be willing to leave a clue of any kind in a cave, especially if it is snowing all year long. It wouldn't be the safest thing to do." Law ventured after a moment's thought. "It said it is between mountains and blades." Whatever blades meant. "I would guess it is a town of some kind that would be near the mountains or within view of them. Perhaps there is a store that sells weaponry, for whatever reason." Law was amused at the look of intense concentration that suddenly came over Luffy's face.

It took only a minute before Luffy brightened and waved the paper at Law. "One of my friends goes to a town near some mountains. Zoro teaches at a dojo near that town a few months out of the year. He says it snows there all the time."

"It seems highly unlikely it would be the place in the letter." Law thought that that would be very coincidental but then he remembered the blade reference in the clue and the fact that Zoro taught at a dojo. The surgeon wasn't sure how he felt about the idea of something being so easy.

Luffy raised his head to frown at Law. "How do you know if I haven't even asked Zoro about where he works?"

Law gave in to that relatively easily, as he had no desire to really argue with Luffy and his amazing leaps of logic that led to his decisions. But it kept the younger man by his side, and for now, that was something that Law found he was craving, despite the fact he wouldn't be around much longer. The blue haired man sighed lightly. He had to stop thinking about that. It really didn't help him any to remember that he was dying. Law absently moved the arm around Luffy's waist up in order to drape it over the other's shoulders. Law didn't pay much attention to the phone call Luffy made to Zoro, the blue haired man's mind distant as he internally fought with himself over the pros and cons of letting his condition slip.

"Law?"

The dark haired surgeon started, feeling somewhat ruffled and irked with his mind for being so distracted that he hadn't realized that Luffy had already finished his call. Law saw the grin on the other's face, and just barely caught himself in time to prevent himself from stealing another kiss.

"What was that?" Law asked, frustrated with himself over the fact that he sounded vague and distracted. Distracted by the straw hat wearing young man still pressed to his side.

"Are you all right?" Luffy asked, even if he didn't move out from beneath the arm Law still had over his shoulders. He didn't seem to mind and instead wore a rather patient yet expectant look.

"Just tired." Law said lamely, and knew, just knew, from the expression on Luffy's face that the other didn't believe him, but wasn't about to push. As if Luffy expected for Law to say something when he felt comfortable telling him.

Law couldn't. He wouldn't. Not now. Not like this. He didn't want Luffy to pity him or try to solve his problems. Law couldn't, wouldn't do that now. He needed more time. He had to come to terms with the idea of dying and leaving those he cared about behind. Law needed more time, and yet he was running out of time, and there was no stopping it. Law knew he was only delaying the inevitable with the pills that were in his messenger bag, along with a whole lot of denial on his part.

"What did you say?" Law questioned in an attempt to avoid talking to Luffy about how he was feeling.

"Zoro said that the dojo he works at is north of here. It's near the Drum Island Mountains." Luffy frowned at Law as if trying to figure him out, before the expression turned into a cheerful smile. "He said that if we're going to visit we need to dress warm, and if this is about you wanting to spar with him, that he would be up for it. It's snowing more this year, so he said we might be delayed getting to the dojo."

"We're going to go now?" Law wasn't exactly protesting the idea but more the suddenness of it without actual confirmation it was the place the clue was intending them to go. Not to mention the idea of Zoro thinking he wanted to spar with him. Law had not tried sparring with anyone out of high school, and he certainly didn't think he would last very long against someone who regularly did such things. Then again, taking his frustrations out against someone who could take it was rather appealing. Law felt that it might be nice to exhaust himself from a day of sparring so that he would have no time to be worrying about the days ticking down. His previous thought came back to him and Law frowned at Luffy. "Isn't it too much to hope that it will be the right place? We could be wasting time." Time he didn't have to lose if the next clue wasn't where they thought it might be.

Luffy just smiled some more. "It'll all work out just fine." The younger man moved Law's arm off his shoulders and stood, brushing some sand off his shorts. "We can use Ace's car to drive there."

"When did you talk to your brother?" Law froze midway through rising as Luffy's other words sunk in. Driving meant it would take days to reach their destination. And there was no telling whether he could discreetly take his pills or not out of sight of Luffy. Not to mention he wasn't sure when his body would begin to be harder to move as he wanted it to. Law still wasn't exactly sure when it would be obvious that his body was failing him.

"After I talked to Zoro. You were kind of spaced out, like before, in the hotel." Luffy wrinkled his nose. "That's weird, you know. You never space out like that."

"How long a drive?" Laws voice was barely a whisper; he pointedly chose to say nothing about the whole being spaced out, because the surgeon couldn't deny that he wasn't at his best.

"A few days." Luffy said after giving it thought.

Law's unease rose. "Are there any flights? So that we can get there sooner?" The blue haired man did not want to waste any time and the thought of driving on the road with his impending death always in the back of his mind was an unpleasant concept. Especially as Law felt that Luffy would sleep almost the entire way and that wouldn't do the surgeon any good concerning his mental health. "I don't want to slide off the road and owe your brother money for damage to his expensive car."

"I told Ace you'd say something like that." Luffy said with a laugh. "So we pulled some favors and Ace got a small plane we can take today. It lands at a town an hour away from where Zoro's dojo is."

Law wanted to protest, not used to having decisions being made in what seemed to be the blink of the eye. It wasn't exactly the safest thing to do, especially as neither he nor Luffy knew who the letters and the clues within them were from. Luffy was clearly worry-free about that as well, because he excitedly tugged Law the rest of the way up out of the sand and leading him across the sand and through a crosswalk to the lot where Ace's car was parked. Despite his initial concerns, the surgeon found he had no desire to protest. Instead, Law allowed himself to be swept up in Luffy's pace. Only the surgeon insisted that he drive the car as to not fear for his life. If Ace's reckless way of driving was anything to go by, Law didn't want to find out how Luffy drove.

His companion's pout at not being trusted to drive nearly made Law let his guard down to give the other a kiss, but was able to resist. When Law pulled up to the airport and the presumed waiting plane, Law couldn't help but speak up.

"Why go so quickly?"

"Well, we don't want anyone else to get there before us, right?" Luffy replied as if it were obvious.

Law resisted saying anything lest he upset the other man. Law also wasn't entirely sure if he wouldn't at least brush a kiss to the side of Luffy's head for being criminally adorable. But he didn't get a chance to resist when Luffy exited the car, and went around to the driver's side to stare at him closely, as if trying to figure something out. Whatever Luffy was thinking about had clearly been decided upon, because the younger man abruptly threw his arms around Law's neck.

And kissed him.

Law wrapped his arms around Luffy's back to keep the kiss going before they both had to take a break for air. Law met Luffy's eyes, his voice low and breathless. "What was that for?"

Luffy appraised the dark haired surgeon briefly before shrugging. "You looked like you needed it."

Law held still at that thought before Luffy grabbed his hand and led him toward the plane. Law recovered soon after but the damage was already done, and he knew that there was no way he could push Luffy away again. Not if the other wanted to be close. Law couldn't resist after all. He couldn't bring himself to say or do anything that might drive Luffy away from his life again, and like the fool he was, Law wanted to have what he and Luffy had had before, for as long as he could have it. It seemed like Law would eventually have to cave in and admit to his secret after all, but for now, Law would keep it to himself.

Law squeezed Luffy's hand tightly. He couldn't let go. He wouldn't, even though Law knew he should. Law knew now, more than before, that he was going to hurt himself and Luffy for keeping quiet about his upcoming, unavoidable death. But right now, with his fingers intertwined with Luffy's, Law didn't care about the pain he and Luffy would go through, beginning, most likely, in a matter of days. Law's hand twitched within Luffy's. He needed this. Law needed Luffy's company so badly that he didn't realize before what it had meant to lose the younger man's presence in his life.

Now Law did, and it hurt more than the surgeon cared to admit.

Law's grip became desperate the longer he and Luffy walked hand in hand toward the small plane that was obviously for them. The surgeon grit his teeth before his shoulders slumped and he gave in as he stopped suddenly.

"Traffy? What's wrong?"

Law merely drew close, leaned over, and pressed his lips to the side of Luffy's head like he had thought to do earlier. It was a brief kiss, feather-light, with a touch of regret as Law drew back, and continued to walk alongside the younger man. He avoided Luffy's perplexed expression, and Law shook his head wordlessly, as if he couldn't bring himself to explain his actions.

That Luffy didn't press and merely became cheerful again the closer they got to the plane, he missed another tortured expression cross Law's face.

Law closed his eyes, trusting Luffy to keep him upright should he stumble. He needed a moment to compose himself, but the fact Luffy continued to poke at his well-being, and seem concerned that he wasn't at his best, was a blow to Law. A sharp twist in his gut and a pain that settled in his chest over the fact that he'd so foolishly given this up. Given up and lost lost this closeness. This connection that Law had been so sure he could dismiss. As if the surgeon thought he could keep to himself what he felt for the man next to him. And Law had lost it all because he had decided, on his own, that his and Luffy's wouldn't work out with his heavy work schedule.

And now, when Law might be able to get back what he once lost, the blue haired man would lose it again when he was dead.

It hurt.

It hurt so much that Law almost, almost, wanted to crawl under the covers of a bed somewhere and never emerge. Give in and die, heavy with regret and despair for the fool he'd been. Law had ruined what could have been something good for both himself and Luffy and the surgeon was certain he'd hurt Luffy by ending it and giving no good reason for it, and refusing to talk it over as Law completely cut off ties. It was selfishness on Law's part to not contact Luffy at all until it was, in Law's mind, a convenient time, because he knew Luffy would be up for following random clues from an unknown source. It made Law almost sick to his stomach that it took the diagnosis of an incurable disease, a countdown for how long he would live because of it, and a random letter in the mail to try and recover that lost relationship.

How Luffy could even begin to want to see him after all he'd done was just-

"Are you okay, Law? You don't look so good." Luffy pointed out as they walked. "Do you not like planes? Or are you hungry? You didn't eat anything."

"It's nothing." Law murmured, his hand not letting go of Luffy's. The surgeon didn't look at Luffy to know that the younger man didn't believe his shoddy lies.

"It'll be all right." Luffy said suddenly, as he squeezed Law's hand encouragingly while sounding uncharacteristically solemn as he drew nearer to Law to bump his shoulder against the surgeon's arm.

Law squeezed his eyes shut again as he allowed himself to be led along. If he looked at Luffy now, Law wasn't sure what he would do. But what the blue haired man did know was that he wasn't going to have a breakdown right now. Law had had some time to think about his condition, and the helplessness of being unable to prevent the progression of the illness. He wouldn't do anything to upset Luffy, even if Law knew keeping such a big secret might be too much. Law just wanted to see that smile remain on Luffy's face, no matter what.

In a week's time there may be no avoiding the topic of his condition, but until then, Law was content to keep quiet and dismiss any inquires to his health apart from lying to himself that there wasn't a thing to worry about. Law took a breath and let it out slowly, just as Luffy started up some chatter about the small plane they were headed to that his older brother had told him about, and how their luggage had already been stored on the plane for them by Ace earlier.

That had been a good thing, because Law had honestly forgotten about it being left in the hotel.

"You in there, Law?" Luffy asked as he tapped the surgeon on the forehead with a finger of his free hand "You're spacing out again."

"I am...fine. I just didn't sleep well last night." An understatement, but one that would have to do for now. Law couldn't help but be drawn back into the present as he tried his best to follow Luffy's confusing logic about the clue they had found in the crumpled-up letter beneath the sand. Law's whole body seemed to relax the longer he walked alongside Luffy, and the longer he held the other's hand. With another, deeper breath, Law had himself back under control.

He could do this. Law knew he could do this without letting on that something was terribly wrong. And if not…

Well, any future meltdown that Law may or may not have would just have to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I am going to be delving into nanorwimo again this year, so updates will continue to be sporadic (and dependent on getting myself out of a funk- this chapter is the first thing I've written since the 16th and it made sense to do this one because angst is easier to write for now). I hope to do a few updates this upcoming month for different fics, but I'll see how it goes. As you can probably already tell, this fic is going to be more chapters than anticipated, as per usual, I guess, with the way I write.


	6. Chapter 6

Law's apprehension about the small plane that was now in view was offset by the fact that another of Luffy's friends happened to be there. Law knew that because Luffy let go of his hand to go race up to the light blue haired man. Compared to the man standing there, the plane seemed to be much smaller than it actually was. Law stayed back, not certain how one of Luffy's friends, and not his brother, would react to him. Ace had already warned him not to hurt Luffy again, so Law couldn't even begin to imagine how one of Luffy's friends would react to the cause of a past hurt being back in the picture.

And would hurt Luffy again by dying in the near future.

Law tried his best not to dwell on the idea so he instead chose to watch the way Luffy animatedly spoke to the light blue haired man. Franky, Law mused to himself, after another moment's thought of the identity of the person presumably piloting the plane. Why Law hadn't guessed right away that it was one of Luffy's friends, he wasn't sure. Perhaps he didn't want to think about how convenient it was that Franky just happened to be there in that coastal city, and willing to fly a small plane to a wintry town on short notice.

Then again, Luffy's friends liked him a lot, so they seemed willing to do something for their friend when the younger man asked for it.

Law looked Franky over again and blinked. The surgeon would have thought that going to a place that was winter most of the year would cause a change in clothes.

Franky still wore no pants but didn't appear to be overly concerned about wearing little else.

Law sighed.

Luffy's friends were a strange bunch.

"Hey, Traffy. Give me that and I'll put it on the plane."

Law started at the sight of Luffy suddenly right in front of him. The blue haired man tensed ever so slightly over the fact that Luffy's hand was on the strap of his messenger bag, as if to wrestle it off of him.

"We're ready to go. We're just putting the luggage in the compartment below." Luffy tugged at the strap. "Come on. You don't have to hold this on the plane."

Law gave Luffy a vacant stare as he tried to think of possible reasons to keep the bag with him without piquing Luffy's curiosity as to what was inside. Failing to find any good reason, Law reluctantly removed the bag from over his shoulder and into Luffy's waiting arms. Law held still for a moment as Luffy raced to the plane with his messenger bag, before he forced himself into movement. Law wasn't going to insist he hold onto the bag, because he did not want to explain the large bottle of pills inside the bag. With a final glance over his shoulder at the distance shore of the beach he'd been on not a half hour ago, Law turned away and boarded the plane.

Despite having wanted to come to this coastal city for some time, Law knew that his dwindling amount of time would not allow for him to remain any longer. He had to keep moving forward. He had to keep going, and was again grateful that Luffy was there by his side to prevent Law from completely falling apart under the pressure of the helplessness and resentment that his condition gave him. That Law was forced to limit the things he may have otherwise enjoyed, like a longer stay at the city, and all because he wanted, needed to do more before his time was up.

"You ready to go?" Luffy asked, again cutting into Law's thoughts like a bright light in the darkness the surgeon was floundering in.

"Yes." Law said, as he passed Luffy and got into the plane to settle on a seat. It was tight quarters, but it would have to do. Who knew when commercial flights would go, and how often to such a small town.

"Hey, Luffy, come here a sec." Franky called from outside of the plane.

Law didn't know what made him think this meant that Franky wanted to get a word with him him alone, but knew that that was the intention. Unfortunately the paranoia was proven correct, because Franky appeared where Luffy had been outside the door, and he eyed Law. The surgeon tensed up in return and held a steady gaze, refusing to back down or be intimidated. The blue haired surgeon knew that he'd made a mistake and he didn't need to be told in different ways how much he'd hurt Luffy by breaking ties off those two years ago.

"Ace probably already talked to you, so I won't take long."

Law tilted his chin haughtily. "And what exactly do you want to say?"

"You're not going to do what you did before, are you?"

"No. It was a mistake." Law looked past Franky. "I don't need another reminder." Even if Law felt like he was lying because he was going to die and there was nothing he could do to prevent it from breaking Luffy. Law's only hope was that he could tell Luffy before it happened, and let the younger man decided whether to stay around or not. "Luffy didn't have to show up but he did. So I won't just leave him behind without…talking to him about it first."

The answer seemed to be satisfactory because soon enough Law heard Franky and Luffy's muffled conversation outside of the plane, before Luffy popped right in front of the door, and came in to sit down next to Law.

"We'll get there in no time at all. With the modifications I made to this plane, we'll be there before you know it." Franky commented as he settled in a seat of his own and revved the plane up.

Law buckled himself into the seat immediately, having hesitation over this after all. It was like being with Ace in a car but going faster in a plane this time around and once more having no control over what happened.

It was horrible.

Law made an attempt to distract himself from the smallness of the plane by looking out of the window during take-off and watch as the land below them got smaller and smaller at an alarmingly fast rate. Law hadn't even realized he'd tensed up again and was clinging to either armchair with his hands, as if he could keep himself in place. Lost in thought about why he was being so rash, Law barely registered the fact that Luffy had pried his nearest hand from its death grip of the armrest to link fingers again. The sky held the blue haired surgeon's attention, but the little squeeze Luffy gave his hand drew his attention to the present somewhat and then all the way into the small cabin of the plane when Luffy leaned his head against Law's shoulder once the plane had leveled off.

Law didn't know what he should say or do, but surprisingly, Luffy didn't engage him in conversation. Instead, Law realized the drone of words were Luffy speaking to Franky. But since Law wasn't entirely back in the present, the words meant nothing to him. Only the hand that Luffy held mattered in that moment. And despite Luffy speaking excitedly about the clues no doubt, the younger man didn't let go of Law's hand.

Law felt something then. An emotion that Law felt selfish to even have in that moment, but he was feeling all the same no matter how much he vehemently tried to deny its existence.

Love.

Love and an exasperated affection for all the ridiculous things that Luffy said and did.

It was a comfort to Law, in a way, to know that he could still feel something that he thought he'd lost over the years. But Law knew that he would only get to experience it for a short time now. Law grasped Luffy's hand tightly. Law felt that he didn't deserve to have such feelings, and certainly not for someone whom he had hurt in the past. Law squeezed his eyes shut.

He couldn't look out the window any longer. It did nothing to distract himself from the awareness of Luffy holding his hand just as tightly in return. Law couldn't look at Luffy either, because the blue haired surgeon might not be able to resist telling the other what was wrong.

But Law couldn't. It wasn't the right time.

Then again, there was no good time to let someone whom you thought of as more than a friend know that you were dying.

-x-

"Hey, Law! Wake up. We're here!"

Law jerked awake at the sensation of a hand gently shaking his shoulder. Law came fully awake when he realized that he had fallen asleep of all things. It wasn't like him, but it could be from stress. The nasty little voice in Law's mind snidely reminded him that it could also be from his illness.

"Traffy?"

"I'm up." Law insisted, shooing away the questing hand from shaking him by the shoulder again.

"Okay. Here." Luffy barely gave Law any time to react before the surgeon found the younger man pressing his messenger bag into his arms.

"Let's go!" Luffy shot out of the plane door at an alarmingly fast pace.

With a yawn, Law shoulder his bag and stood stiffly, belatedly realizing that Luffy must have unbuckled him. Funny, had he been feeling better, the blue haired man would have woken sooner if someone had gotten too close to him. With another, longer yawn, Law exited the plane, though the sleepiness vanished due to the chill of the breeze that hit him had him stumbling forward and into Luffy.

Luckily Luffy was paying attention for once and caught Law to steady him before the surgeon took them both down to the snowy ground of the small airport they'd arrived at.

"Are you sure you're awake?" Luffy asked with a laugh as he helped Law stand upright.

Once Law was sure he could stand on his own he quickly let go of Luffy's arm, before the surgeon shook his head. "I hadn't expected the cold." Law shot an accusatory glance Luffy's way when he saw the other wearing an unconvinced look, and bristled defensively in return. "I'm fine." Law fixed Luffy with an exasperated look of his own. "And how are you not cold? You're wearing a T-shirt and shorts. And sandals."

"Ah, you're right!" Luffy immediately began to shiver, and his solution was to leech the warmth from Law by pressing close to his side.

Law made a disgruntled sound but withstood the gesture, as he was getting rather cold as well. He'd have thought that his hoodie would have provided some warmth but apparently not. The surgeon was frustrated with himself because he was usually better prepared than this and had let Luffy lure him away to the plane without thinking of being properly attired.

"I got to get the plane indoors before ice sets on its wings." Franky called from the back of the plane. "You'll probably want to spend the night in town and go to the dojo in the morning. The storm doesn't look like it's going to let up any time soon."

"Right." Luffy said, miraculously seeming to forget about the snow and cold whipping around him as he retrieved his and Law's luggage, and passed some of it to Law, waving his hand backward. "Bye, Franky! Thanks for the plane ride!"

Law didn't think much of anything until he and Luffy made it to town by riding a shuttle going out from the small airport. Law was still tired but the sharpness of the cold kept him alert. It was only when he and Luffy had arrived in the motel in town to check into a room and were warming themselves up did Law realize his tiredness might not be fully from his nap. That it could very well be from his illness and it was making itself known to him. Just as Law had thought before. A reminder to not relax and think that the pills he was taking would do anything to slow the progression of his illness. Law squeezed a hand into a fist as he followed an overly excited Luffy toward the exit of the motel.

He had to stop thinking such depressing thoughts, or the blue haired man wouldn't be able to remain in the present. In the present with Luffy, who had no idea what was wrong. Law raised his head and braced himself as he and Luffy exited the motel and ended up back in the snowy storm in search of winter clothing. It was an oversight on Law's part that he hadn't insisted getting clothing back in the coastal city they'd just left, but figured the prices didn't matter to him any longer.

As Law and Luffy entered into the largest shop in town that boasted of it's great winter gear, Law's hand traced over his messenger bag absently as Luffy began to rummage through the clothes. Soon, Law was grudgingly trying on different clothes at Luffy's insistence, and when the younger man couldn't decide on what to get, Law ended up deciding that he would buy most of what Luffy had liked, a few things for himself, and one particular scarf that Law wouldn't have bothered with on his own had he not had his attention brought to it in an intimate way.

Law couldn't get it out of his head, as it had just happened moments ago.

_"How about this?" Luffy asked, brandishing a yellow and black scarf._

_Law gave a disinterested shrug; his way of silently letting it be known that he didn't particularly care, but at the same time he did. Law just didn't want to admit how much he liked the scarf._

_And Luffy had known it._

_Law held still when Luffy wrapped the scarf around his neck, fussing with it as his fingertips brushed Law's skin and set the surgeon off in a different way._

_"There." Luffy said, with a grin. The straw hat wearing young man stepped back and looked Law over before giving a firm nod. "You should get it."_

_Law touched the scarf, quiet for nearly a minute, before he nodded. He forestalled Luffy trying to wrestle a hat on his head as well by silently digging in his bag and producing a white furred hat with brown spots._

"Do you think we need anything else?" Luffy asked, making Law start again. The blue haired man withheld a sigh over being startled yet again out of his thoughts, and nodded. Law made sure to pay attention the rest of the time in the store lest he get caught up in his own musings.

Law thought nothing of how much all of the clothes and gear cost, as well as the cost of a suitcase to hold what they weren't going to wear out of the shop. Law knew that he had more than enough money to spend, and the blue haired surgeon knew that he had enough money to pay back any lingering debts that he had remaining, and to cover other…costs, when he was no longer around. Law clenched his fist against his messenger at another thought as he and Luffy exited the shop and made their way back to the motel.

His will.

Law hadn't finished it at home, or at the hospital. Law had tucked it his carry-on bag at the airport. His messenger bag. He still carried the paper in his bag, in a folder stuffed between other medical papers. Law knew that he wasn't ready to put the finishing touches yet, but he was saved from thinking about it further when Luffy urged him into the motel after he'd presumably stood in front of the door like an idiot for what was likely some time.

The surgeon was grateful that Luffy wasn't making more of a fuss over him for not being himself.

Luffy plopped down once they were in their room, and he smiled at Law, though the smile was more uncertain than happy. "Is the cold making you sleepy?"

"A little." Law hedged, as he hung the messenger bag in the closet of the room and stood by the bed. The surgeon silently watched Luffy turn the TV on to a weather channel. And then stared hared at the screen with a look of immense concentration. It was like Luffy was trying to change the forecast with his mind by not taking his eyes off the TV.

Law absently reached up to trace a finger along the scarf around his neck that Luffy had insisted that he get. The surgeon was loathe to remove it because Luffy had put it around his neck, despite the fact that the room was a great deal warner than outside. Law's chest tightened at the sight of Luffy continuing to stare down the TV, and hastily turned away toward the bathroom. "I'm going to go take a shower." Law froze when Luffy was suddenly there and removing the scarf.

"You should take this off. You're not going in fully clothed, are you? That's what washing machines are for."

Law felt Luffy's fingertips again as the other man removed the scarf. Law's jaw set. He was just barely able to reign in his feelings in that one instant. Law did, however, turn so that he could pluck the scarf out of Luffy's hands, unable to resist holding Luffy's hands very obviously before drawing away and taking the black and yellow scarf with him. "I'll hang it up." By the time Law had hung the scarf up, the floor-length jacket he'd gotten, and shed the rest of his clothes, Luffy was already back to sitting on the bed and pouting at the TV as if whatever was being said on it had greatly offended him.

So much for manipulating the forecast through sheer willpower.

Law couldn't help but smirk at the thought, and hastily retreated to the shower. It took the surgeon far longer than he had initially anticipated that it would. His thoughts strayed to the weather, and Law found himself suddenly hoping, like Luffy, that the morning would be clear. It wasn't so much that Law wanted to go on this 'treasure hunt' as Luffy called it, but more that Law wanted to be better able to resist his companion's presence by finding something else to distract him.

Naturally, Luffy was completely oblivious to how he affected Law. By the time Law finished his shower and checked on the younger man, Law found Luffy fast asleep on the bed. Law, dressed in nothing but a pair of sweatpants, stared down at Luffy's slumbering form before letting out a light sigh of his own and settled on the bed. It just figured that Luffy would promptly pass out, but it away, it was good, because Law wasn't exactly sure what they would talk about.

No matter how much Law tried to resist, there was only so much he could take before he gave in. And seeing Luffy sleep without a care in the world was enough to make Law cave in to the inevitable.

Carefully, so as to not wake the other, Law laid down on the bed next to Luffy on his side, like he had done the night before. Law waited a moment to see if that would wake Luffy, but when it didn't, Law gave in to what he wanted to do in that moment. Law carefully maneuvered Luffy onto his side and up against his chest. Law's left arm draped over Luffy's waist. Law settled his head above Luffy's on the single pillow that the younger man had chosen to snore against and closed his eyes. Law stilled as Luffy unconsciously snuggled closer to his chest, mumbling something under his breath, before Luffy's breath evened out. The snoring didn't bother Law in the least; he'd grown used to it two year's previously when he had slept over at Luffy's.

The blue haired surgeon held Luffy closer, curling his taller frame against the younger man's. Luffy was warm. Law didn't mean to fall asleep, but with the change in weather, the plane ride and his thought about finishing his will made the surgeon more exhausted than anticipated. As Law began to doze off, he realized something, curled there against Luffy.

Law found that he felt a great deal calmer than he had been since he'd learned of his limited amount of time left to live. And it was thanks to Luffy being there for him when the other man was under no obligation to even agree to this whole preposterous search for clues matter. But Luffy had gone along with it anyway, because Law was still his friend, even though he'd hurt him. Perhaps Luffy had known all along that Law hadn't wanted to end things, but hadn't thought that a relationship between them would stand a chance due to his work schedule. Luffy didn't know how much Law regretted leaving. How much Law had wanted to take back what he'd done. And now? Law couldn't even bring himself to tell the truth to one of the few people he actually cared about.

The blue haired surgeon didn't deserve this second chance that had been presented to him in the form of following clues from a letter from an unnamed sender. Law didn't think that he deserved Luffy in his life, especially now that the surgeon knew he wasn't going to live long enough to give their relationship the attention and time that it truly deserved.

Law knew that he had run out of time to make things right, and he regretted it with every passing hour he spent with Luffy. What Law could have had and now couldn't have no matter how much he wanted it again. And since the younger man was asleep, Luffy didn't see the bead of frustrated tears brimming beneath the surgeon's eyelashes as Law fell into an exhausted asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I have to start over with nanowrimo, because the idea I'd been writing hit a dead end and no matter how I try to jump ahead to a different section it isn't working. Who knows if I'll finish this year but I'll try. For now, I wanted to put another chapter up for this fic.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I made the decision to make the first chapter longer, as it sets the fic up (plus I don't know when I will update next). Chapter 2 and beyond will likely go back and forth on word count, depending on what is happening and how long I want to write what is going on. I will be doing the chapters as a countdown, with each chapter corresponding to a day in the fic (so, as a rough estimate, there will be 14 chapters, along with this first chapter, and 1-2 by the end of it, though I would not be surprised in the least if one of the 'days' was split into two chapters should I get carried away). There is an end I'm working toward, and I'll just have to see if I can get it to all fit together as I want it to. And if anyone was wondering, I am more interested in plot at this point in time, so I was purposefully not so clear on what is wrong with Law, as all that matters in the fic at present is that he is dying (was half thinking pseudo amber lead hints, if anything). Rating may change in future, but likely to stay as T.
> 
> As an FYI, any future notes will be at the end of chapters from now on, when they are needed.


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